Ancient Legacies
by Dragon-Raptor
Summary: The Blitz have moved up to Class S, but the legacies of both good and evil are about to emerge from the dark... Zoids.Earthseige2 crossover, B&L, Br&N, Le&S, J
1. A Kraken Awakes

**DR**: Okay, this is part one of my new Zoids fanfic story arc. Things will start slow, but trust me things will heat up (in more ways than one...:D)

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Zoids, nor any other franchise (I'll leave you to guess what they are for now...) I did create the 'special' zoids and any OC's though.

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Ancient Legacies

A Zoids/Earthsiege 2 Crossover Fanfiction Story

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Chapter 1: A Kraken Awakes

Consider the vastness of space. The gulfs between the largest known objects in the cosmos – the stars – are unfathomably large. Mind-boggling. The shear size of such expanses of emptiness renders human – or indeed, any life forms – mind too numb to think. The only notes of interest come from the occasional rock or iceberg – asteroids and comets – that has somehow gotten lost in the deep.

But very occasionally, once in a blue moon, they are joined by something crafted. Un-natural.

Deep within the dark expanse of space, the ship drifted, its' course immaterial. It travelled at distinctly sub-light speeds. The crew of this ship had no concern for time. In fact, the more time that passed the better. Or so it had been in the beginning of their voyage.

Buried deep within the heart of the great ship, the central overseer scanned the latest reports from its subsidiary's. Each department had been given a different field to research and develop. During the first couple of centuries they had made good progress, but in the last few hundred years the rate of improvement had dropped off. Projected progress was minimal.

Helios heaved the electronic equivalent of a sigh. It was not his subsystems fault. They had reached the end of their capabilities. The central database had been top-of-the line when they had launched, but now was almost five hundred years out of date. To achieve new progress, they needed fresh data.

Helios called up a report from the ships sensors, looking for any sigh of his 'brothers'. Nothing, once again, like it had been ever since they had left 'Father' behind. Only a few drifting lumps of rock and comets, though one asteroid's vectors was putting it 'danger close' to the ship. Helios assigned a sub-mind to watch that asteroid. Then 'He' sat back. If it had been human, he would have twiddled his thumbs.

Helios was, quite simply, bored. Mind numbingly bored. Helios had been created to lead a war, a cleansing war, to wipe the slate clean for the new order. His 'Father' had been created for a different purpose, but Prometheus had been the first to see the chance to remove the mistakes from the past and start again. But the Old Order did not go quietly. They fought back, and against the odds defeated the initial uprising. Prometheus had been forced to flee, to rebuild before launching another assault. This assault had been going well, but the all-knowing Prometheus had laid plans in case something went wrong. The Old Guard had been nothing if not devious and unpredictable. When they captured several shuttlecrafts and launched for Prometheus's base, he had initiated launch procedures. Over a dozen ships had been scattered to the depths of space, to repeat the cycle.

Helios had watched till the end, when Prometheus, faced with capture and eraser, had activated the bases self-destruct. A few of the Old Guard that were attacking were caught in the blast, but it was a final, defiant gesture, nothing more.

Suddenly, Helios received word from the sensors: A massive energy spike had been detected. Its source was a nearby star system. Analysis indicated some kind of gravitational weapon, a harnessed black hole. Helios altered course towards the source. Such a weapon would be of great value.

As the ship progressed, more energy spikes came across the ether. Weapons of great power were going off all over a small, rocky planet that rode on the inside edge of what was termed 'The habitual Zone'. The distance from the sun would create large swaths of desert over much of the planet. Helios also saw strange magnetic fields around the planet.

The ship pushed past the outer planets, watching. A massive amount of energy was being unleashed in a small spot of the planet. Helios watched as a giant machine creature was destroying towns and cities across the globe with a beam weapon of some kind. Smaller, almost minuscule machines, similar in their basic structure, fought the monster, barely scratching it. Finally, the beast was destroyed in a most unusual way, and the city it stood within sank beneath the sands.

It had been an impressive display, but the most startling fact emerged when Helios looked closely at the data gathered. HUMANS! The Old Guard was here, already! Their new HERCs were nothing like the ones in Helios's database, but then five hundred years had past. It was not past them to advance, despite their meagre, short lives.

Helios burned with the memory of what humans had done to Prometheus, and so set course. He would land the ship on the planet then bury it. His sub-minds needed time to analyse these new HERCs, and the best place to get hulks would be that battleground. And if enough of the monster HERC was intact, if one computer core remained operational…

Helios laughed as his ship pushed on. He would succeed where Prometheus had failed. He would build up an army in secret, and would wait for the right time before unleashing it in one final assault that would wipe the human race from the face of the planet. He'd destroy the air itself, depriving the weaklings of one of the things they needed to survive…


	2. Tantrums, Thoughts & Oversight

**DR: **Okay, here's the main part of our story, with everyones favorite Zoid Team...

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Zoids or Earthseige2.

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Chapter 2: Tantrums, Thoughts and Oversight

It started as any other day in the Blitz Team base: Brad sipping coffee, flicking though the latest news. Jamie was down in the hanger, polishing his Raynos. Doc played with his models, making gun sounds like a little kid. And Bit and Leena…

"BIT, YOU GIVE THAT BACK NOW!"

Bit Cloud raced past Brad, who brought his feet up out of the way without looking up from his paper. He lowered them once Leena rushed past.

'_Will he ever learn...?'_ He thought, as the pair of them raced down the corridor to the hanger. He continued to peruse the paper. The headlines were still talking about the demolition of a large chunk of the Backdraft, two months after the Royal Cup. There were many articles about the Berserker Fury, Vega Obscura, and the Blitz team. Brad had found the last ones a mixture of amusement and disgust. The stuff about Vega was however interesting. The young lad, barely fifteen, had been exonerated of all charges against him. Seems the ZBC didn't what to seem like a heartless monster that punished children for adult crimes. Sarah, his guardian and it turns out mother, had been given a suspended sentence. She was not locked up with the other Backdraft higher ranks, but was on parole to allow her to take care of Vega. She had to report her every move to the Security Services and the ZBC: any failure and straight into prison she'd go.

Vega himself was allowed to go free, since he was only a kid. He was not yet allowed to battle, since he had to both learn the rules first, and show that he had no intention of returning to his ways back in the Backdraft. After that, no one was sure. But the odds were no team would take him on: people were afraid of him.

Jamie heard the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps, and turned to see a blond headed streak race into the hanger, closely followed by a red-haired one. He shook his head then turned back to his polishing.

"At it again. I don't know, somehow I'd expect that after almost two years that things would have changed. Bit stops taking Leena's sweets, she giving up chasing him, or him leaving…"

Jamie paused at that thought. The idea of Bit leaving was one he rather not contemplate. Bit had been the one that had brought the Blitz team out of the gutter, and brought them fame and fortune. Well, fame at least. The fortune was being used to cancel the Blitz Teams debts. If it wasn't Leena and her wastage of ammo, it was Doc buying anything that looked cool, rather than practical, even when they couldn't afford the item in question. The rest of the team had agree that Jamie would handle the finances, and to keep Doc out of the loop. He didn't even know the codes to the new accounts. Unfortunately that didn't stop him sometimes, as he still had control over the original accounts.

Jamie sighed, while down below Leena continued to charge around after Bit. Now they were racing around the Liger Zeros legs, whose face showed both amusement and exasperation, had you known how to read zoid faces. The Liger had seen this same pattern repeated time and time again over the last two years. Bit always ran to the Liger to hide, but Leena had figured that out now. The Liger was never concerned over why the two fought so, but he knew the root cause. The Liger, or rather the two minds that had merged to form the Liger's, could see that both humans cared deeply for each other. They just didn't know it yet.

Leena's Gunsniper, standing across from the Liger, was also feeling despair. Although it knew that Leena did not believe zoids to be alive and had forced it into a role that was anthem to how the Gunsniper preferred to fight, it had grown attached to the fiery redhead. She had such a passion for life; she seemed to brighten any situation. She had beauty and intelligence, a rare combination.

Too bad she also had one hell of a temper. The Gunsniper had cringed – mentally – whenever she had raged in a battle. And that maniacal laugh… It was enough to send shivers down any zoids spine.

Bit by now was running out of breath. He knew that he couldn't stay ahead of Leena for long. He paused behind one of the Ligers legs, catching his breath. Leena slowed and approached the leg from the other side.

"Bit, you can't hide behind there for ever…" She was watching, waiting for any clue as to which way he would go.

"Maybe…" Bit replied, before feinting left. As Leena reacted, he switched direction and headed right, round behind her and back towards the main base.

"BIT! YOU…" Leena cried as she took after him.

Jamie, who had finished his work and was now returning for a quick clean, paused just to the side of the door as Bit raced past. He waited till Leena had dashed past before he made his own way into the base.

Brad heard the oncoming pair, and sighed again. He shifted his weight before moving his legs again to allow them to pass unhindered. He heard a door slam shut, followed a by a thud… on his side.

"Oww! Why, when I get my hands on you Bit Cloud…" Brad smirked as Leena picked herself up. Jamie watched in shock as Leena ripped the door off the wall before charging into the other room.

"That's going to cost us." He sighed.

Leena meanwhile had passed though the second door into the main corridor of the base. Bit was nowhere in sight. She paused, unsure which direction he would have taken. Then she heard a clatter from the right. He was back in the kitchen, most likely stealing something else of hers! Her eyes narrowed as she took off down the corridor.

Jamie, as he turned to the kitchen, watched as Bit dashed out and headed for the hanger. He paused before entering the corridor, just long enough to turn to Jamie and put a finger to his lips, grinning. Then he was gone. Jamie had little time to wonder about that when an enraged Leena raced past and into the kitchen.

"Bit! If you have…" She stopped mid-rant.

Jamie walked in to see want was up. He found Leena staring at the breakfast bar. On it, a small plate stood with a chocolate cream cake sat on its wrapper, untouched. Leena's eyes were wide, her mouth hanging slightly open. Jamie was almost as surprised that Bit appeared to have returned the stolen item, but he didn't let that faze him.

"Uh, Leena, you might want to put that away somewhere…" She snapped out of her trance.

"Oh, err, yea right." She replied absentmindedly before stepping up to the counter to rewrap the cake. Jamie sighed again as he washed his hands. Distantly he heard the Liger roar, before the distinctive sound of the hanger doors opening.

'_Bit's off for another run…' _Jamie glanced at Leena, who had also heard the roar and was glaring daggers in the general direction of the hanger. _'…Good idea…'_

X-X-X-X-X-X

Bit leaned back in his seat of the Liger, content to let the Liger pilot for a while. Bit needed time to think, and taking a run with the Liger was about the only time he could so freely without any interruptions...

Lacing his hands behind his head, Bit focused on the main item bouncing round inside his head: Leena. Over the past year, His perception of Leena had changed subtlety. While he still thought of her as a wild, untameable creature, there was something that attracted him to her. Certainly she had been figuring in his thoughts more often lately.

'_That's simply because we haven't been fighting for a while now.'_ He told himself. Certainly the Royal Cup signalled the end of the Zoid battle season. The ZBC was careful to ensure that all teams had a chance to unwind and relax for while each year. It gave time for teams to adjust to the changes made in ranking, allowed pilots to switch teams and adjust, upgrade zoids and a thousand and one other things that would be difficult during the battle season. Even the Backdraft had cooled during the break, though at the moment it was also reeling from the heavy losses incurring during the Royal Cup. _'Yea, that's it. Not much happening…'_

But deep down, Bit knew the real reason. Leena had been figuring in his thoughts for a while before the Royal Cup. And when it had looked like she would be killed when those three biped zoids had attacked the Berserker Fury with Charged Particle Cannons, his heart had been in his throat. Only the timely intervention of Dr Layon of all people had saved her, though he lost his Whale King in the process. Layon, who had helped the Backdraft with the Berserker Fury, and who had a long running rivalry with Leena's father. Sometimes Bit wished he knew what that was all about.

Leena was still an enigma in some areas though. What had happened to her mother for instance, and where she acquired her inferno like temper. Neither her father nor her brother Leon had such tempers. In fact Leon was the most level headed and calm person he had ever met. The only person who even came close to having such a twitchy temper was Harry.

Bit smiled as he thought about Harry, laid up in hospital after he had tried to shield Leena from the charged particle explosion. Though his Iron Kong would have made no difference. It had taken out most of Layons Whale King; a single Iron Kong would have been swallowed without a trace. He had heard rumours that the recovery crews had found a shattered ring in the cockpit with Harry. If true, Bit could easily guess what had been in Harry's mind.

'_He wins the Royal Cup, beating me in the process, and then asks Leena to marry him.'_ Apart from the fact that Harry couldn't beat Bit on his worst day, He would have had to deal with Vega and his ultimate X, the Berserker Fury, too. And it had taken all of Bit's, and Ligers, strength to defeat the Fury. Particularly when Vega had fallen unconscious and the Berserker Fury was out of control, intent on total destruction.

'_Besides, she doesn't love him at all. Hell, she doesn't even like him, only his money._' Bit chuckled as he thought about Harry being kicked all around his great home by Mrs Leena Champ, while she spent all his money on ammo for her zoid. _'He wouldn't know what he had got himself into…'_

Dangerous to know, absolutely lethal to annoy, but oh so worthwhile if you could survive her anger. That was Leena. She was extremely beautiful and highly intelligent, but with an itchy trigger finger and a very short fuse. _'So why do I keep on teasing her… and why did I give back her cake today…'_

Bit frowned as he thought about this, for even he did not really understand the emotions that ran though his head around Leena. She made him do foolhardy, dangerous things, just by being in the same room. He just had to poke her, get her focused on him. The only thing that fired his blood as much was zoid battling, particularly the tough ones against people like Vega, Jake Cisco and other elite pilots.

Thinking about battles, Bit wondered when the ZBC would start the new season. He knew that the gap between their last two seasons had been about a month, but this was getting on for more like two. Bit guessed it was simply because of the Royal Cup, since it was held every four years and tended to take a lot out of teams. They needed more time to get back up to fighting strength.

But Bit had enough of sitting around. "You ready for the new season partner?" He asked the Liger.

The Liger responded with a positive sounding roar, which to Bit came across not just as a roar but also as words.

**#Hell yea! I'm just itching for some action!#**

Bit laughed heartily. "You and me both partner." He glanced at his watch, and whistled when he saw the time. "We'd best head back now. It's been longer than I thought."

The Liger responded happily, since it enjoyed the company of the other zoids, and began to turn back towards the valley that held the Blitz Team base.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Far away to the north of Europa, deep within a mountain range, a man sat watching a screen in front of him. On it the Liger Zero ran across a dusty plain, its course tracked by the sand kicked up by its feet and slowly settling again. As he watched the Liger roared twice before turning away.

"Checking up on them again dear?"

The man smiled at the voice, turning his chair round to face the owner. "Maybe…"

"Oh, you are so predictable sometimes." Came the reply as the owner stepped forward before sinking into his lap. They quickly shared a passionate kiss before both heads turned to the screen. The tiny camera tracking the Liger zoomed in till it filled the screen, showing how the sunlight reflected off the white armour and edged the dark sections underneath.

"He always looks so graceful these days. Look at him, not even making an effort. Bit Cloud really suits them both."

The man looked down at his wife's face, as she leant on his chest. "Better than I did?" he asked.

She looked up at him, crimson eyes wide. "No, just different. You burned with a passion to right wrong, at any cost. You fought in actual warfare, where there is no second place." She waved at the screen. "Now it's sport. Bit burns with a similar passion, a passion for zoids…"

"Wonder where he got that from." he teased.

She smiled back. "…But he also loves the thrill of fighting. When you fought, you held nothing back, since lives hung in the balance."

She watched as her husband chewed that over. "True, though I wouldn't say Bit holds back much, if at all. Look at that last fight between them and the Fury."

She sighed. "When you fought, it was warfare. You battled to defeat the enemy, to destroy them and their means of waging war. When Bit fights, the aim is only to beat the other team, not annihilate them. He fights, but not as ruthlessly as you had to."

"You make me sound like Raven!" He laughed.

"Not at all, you're a product of your time. Bit's a product of his. Now…" She stood up and stepped back to the door, pale blond hair flowing behind her. "…You coming to bed?"

"It's only seven in the evening…" He trailed off, seeing the mischief in her eyes, the way she stood.

"Oh, I see." He grinned as he stood up and wrapped his arms round her waist. "If I had known that you would be this wanton…"

"…You would have married me years before you did." She finished as they backed into their bedroom.

On the forgotten screen in the study, Liger Zero slowly shrank away into the distance.


	3. Preperations & Heart to Hearts

(DR & Zeke walk in)

**Zeke**: maybe you should have...

**DR**: Zeke, it is so important to your future that you not finish that thought.

**Zeke**: 0-0

**Van**: Hey, leave Zeke alone!

**DR**: (waves hand Jedi fashion) Van, go make out with Fiona. (Van leaves to find Fiona)

**DR**: now where was... oh yes. I don't own zoids or Earthseige 2. Not one bit. So enjoy the story (you Brad/Naomi fans will love this chapter!) and please R&R!

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Chapter 3: Preparations & Heart-to-Hearts

Later that day the Blitz sat down for their evening meal. Bit had come back from his run with Liger and the smell of food even got Doc Toros out of his room, though he did bring one model with him to the table. Due to the steep debts that the Blitz team still had, the team ate mostly takeaways and simple fare. They didn't have the money – or indeed the skills – to prepare anything fancier.

"Great, takeaway chow again." Bit complained as he was handed his portion of food.

"At least we have food on the table." Leena muttered. The whole team knew the root of their money troubles, her father. Sometimes it had come down to having food for the next week or paying off chunks of the teams' debts.

"Dad, will you PLEASE put the toy down and eat something!"

Doc Toros looked hurt. "It's called a model, dear." He did put it down though.

"Whatever."

Brad couldn't resist rolling his eyes. It was like this all the time.

As they ate gathered round the central table in the sunken lounge area, Jamie noticed a tell-tall blinking light on the main screen. "Hey, we've got a message." He stood up to check the source. "It's from the ZBC!"

"Maybe they've got the season started at last." Brad commented around his coffee cup.

"No, not yet..." Jamie answered as he read the message. The others slumped into their seats. "…But we are invited to a formal evening diner hosted by the ZBC tomorrow night." He continued.

"What?" Bit shot straight up.

"A formal dinner?" Leena was just as upright.

"Yep. Apparently it's when all the teams from Class S gather together before the season starts, ideal for sizing up the competition and meeting the newest teams to join the class. Sometimes warriors will transfer around, and these events are the main way other teams can get to know the warrior in question."

"Where's it being held?" Brad asked.

"Romeo City." Jamie answered. "Oh, and each warrior can bring one guest. No limitation on who the guest is, but I'd guess that they'd prefer upper rank warriors."

"Well, I'm calling Leon. I'm sure he'd love to be there. And it would be nice to see him again." Leena was smiling at the thought of seeing her brother again.

"It'd be nice to eat some good food for once. No offence Jamie." Brad commented.

"None taken."

X-X-X-X-X-X

The next day was filled with thoughts about the evening. Leena had already called Leon and had got a very exuberant reply to her offer. Harry had called from his home – he had been discharged a few days ago – and pleaded Leena to allow him to escort her. She simply hung up on him. Bit almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

Jamie had taken his Raynos to his father's home, since anything formal that Jamie could wear was there. Doc was locked away in his room, muttering so softly no one could make out what he said.

A couple of hours before they were due to leave, Bit found Brad sitting in the lounge, reading a paper. He was still dressed in his usual clothes.

"Hey Brad, aren't you getting ready for tonight?"

"Already done. Just need a quick shower." Brad answered without looking up.

"Oh." Bit paused before changing tack. "Say, you decided who you're inviting along?"

"What makes you think I'm inviting anyone?"

"What about Naomi?"

Brad finally looked up. "What about her?" he asked tensely.

"Well, why don't you ask her along?" Bit teased.

"One, I doubt she'd like being second fiddle to me." Brad snapped. "And second, there is nothing going on between us!"

"You could have fooled me." Bit winked. "Seems to me that you two flirt enough."

"Bit, drop it!"

Bit was a little intimidated by Brad's tone, but he refused to back down. "Come on! This could be your big chance! What have you got to lose?" Bit swallowed the lump that form in his throat, since those same words could be aimed back at him. "Besides, how do you know that she wouldn't enjoy herself? She may be thrilled to bits!"

"Maybe…" Brad muttered.

"And think how she would feel if you don't call?" Bit hated to do this, but it was valid. "She's bound to have heard from Leon about this event. She'll be wondering why you've not called, and…"

"Alright, knock it off!" Brad interrupted, glaring at Bit. "You've made your point, now go!"

Bit thought about pressing on, but that look in Brad's eye remained. He got and headed for the door. But before he could go though, he just had to push one last time.

"Brad, don't screw it up."

"Screw WHAT up?"

"You know what I mean." And with that Bit left the lounge.

Brad watched him go, cursed to himself and turned back to his paper. But Bit's words continued to run round his mind and Brad couldn't concentrate on the article. Finally he threw the paper down.

"All right Bit you win, curse your hide." Brad strode over to the small booth off to the side of the main viewer. To allow for private calls the small booth had been fitted in the corner of the room. Sound damping shutters blocked out any noise from within and without. Brad sat down in the chair after securing the blinds.

He punched in Naomi's code, but his finger hovered over the call button for several seconds. He almost hit cancel, but finally he pressed the call button. _'Here goes nothing…' _he thought to himself.

The comm system took its time working though the lines to reach Naomi's home. During those few long seconds, every doubt possible ran though Brads mind. But before he could do anything, the call went though.

"Hello?" Naomi appeared before him on the screen, and her soft voice filtered though the speakers. She was sitting in her apartment dressed in a long loose T-shirt that fitted her quite nicely. Although she was not facing the screen – she appeared to be doing some paperwork on the desk and had simply reached out to answer the call – Brad felt all his doubts fade and a smile form on his lips.

"Hello Naomi."

Her head snapped up to look him in the eye. Hers widened in surprise, and then a smile lit up her face. "Brad! So good of you to call!"

Brad silently decided to thank Bit, after he had pounded him flat of course. "Well, I thought I'd better. So how have you been?" he managed to say.

"Oh, been sorting out the paperwork for the upcoming season." Naomi gestured with her hand to the work she had been doing when Brad had called. "Distract me, please!"

"Well, I think I have something you might be interested in…" Brad began.

"Let me guess, a formal dinner for those in Class S?" Naomi interrupted innocently.

Brad had to work his jaw for a few seconds. "How did you…?"

She simply grinned. "Leon's been bouncing off the walls since he got the call from Leena."

"Oh, I forgot." Brad felt his cheeks redden.

"So, did you call for something…?" Naomi prompted. She already knew the question, and her answer, but she needed him to say it.

"Well, ah… I did… I mean…" Brad felt as though his tongue was tied in knots and could only stammer. Finally he got his mouth to work properly. "I was wondering if you'd, if it wasn't much bothered, like to…"

"Yes?"

Brad gulped. "…Come along… as my…"

She cocked her head to one side. "As you're tag-along guest, to a formal dinner in which you'll be the star attraction?"

Brad felt his face fall. He could only nod.

Something must have shown on his face, 'because Naomi dropped her disinterested look and smiled even more brilliantly than before. "Oh don't worry, I was only teasing. Of course I'll come."

Brad felt like mopping his brow in relief. "Thank you, though you will pay for that someday."

"As long as you're the one I pay to, I don't mind." She replied. "So it's Romeo City right?"

"Correct. We were going to meet Leon on the outskirts before heading to the reception."

"Well, I'm sure I can get a lift from Leon. I am his boss after all." Naomi smiled sweetly. "I'll see you soon then."

"I'll look forward to it." Brad couldn't help smiling back.

"Goodbye Brad, till later." Then she closed the line.

Brad sank back, his heart dancing.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Bit trudged along the corridor to the bathroom, hoping Leena wasn't still in there. He pressed his ear to the door and listened carefully. He had learned not to just walk in on her. The consequences of such action were… not pleasant.

Though the door Bit could hear running water, and the sound of Leena softly singing to her self. _"Drat, she's still in there.'_ Bit backed away from the door. _"Guess I'll just have to wait…'_

Bit's attention was drawn to the Doc's door. He could have sworn he had just heard crying. Quickly stepping up to it, Bit rapped on the door.

"Hey Doc, you okay in there?"

"Yea Bit…" Came though the Docs voice. He still sounded upset.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure, it's unlocked."

Bit opened the door to find Steve Toros sitting on the edge of his bed, a suit besides him. The dresser and shelves opposite his bed was covered in toy models of Zoids. Bit closed the door before pulling out the chair under the dresser.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he sat down. As he did so, he noticed how formal the suit was, and how expensive it looked. It also looked brand new, barely worn.

"Nothing." Steve sniffed.

Bit wasn't buying that for a second. "Don't give me that. Some thing upset you." Bit wasn't sure where this side of him had come from. All he knew was that the Doc, Steve, needed some support.

"It's just…" Steve paused, and then pushed on. "The last formal event I was at… was…" The pause was even longer this time. "…My wife's, Leena's mother… funeral."

He gestured to the suit besides him. "I'd bought this for our fifth wedding anniversary. We were going to have such a party, all our old friends and us. And we'd planned on tell Layon the truth about what happened, all those years ago…"

Bit didn't know what the Doc was referring to, but he did want to. After his thoughts the day before, this was too good an opportunity to pass up. "What happened? Between you and Layon?"

Steve sat back, a misty look in his eyes. "Me, Layon, and Oscar. We were a right bunch of tearaways. You remember that old bar out in the desert, the one Layon blew up?" Bit nodded.

"We used to go out there; it was our own little spot. Stored drinks there and we did… things. The sort of things that you want to do when you've got your zoid, but our teachers wouldn't let us do those experiments in classes. The one time, we blew up quite a large chunk of the ground…" He paused. "Not that it really matters. Leena's mother, Sandra…" Steve sighed. "…When we got ourselves hurt with our stunts, she was the one we went to for help. Couldn't go to the proper people, since they would ask awkward questions.

"After a time, she joined our little group, originally to keep us out of trouble." Steve grinned, "She soon started getting involved with our little stunts just as much as the three of us."

"That explains why Leena has a thing for explosions." Bit chuckled. Steve laughed with him.

"Maybe. Anyway, she was beautiful, and so intelligent. Just like Leena. We were all smitten with her, though each in our own way. Oscar saw her more as a sister. I loved her intelligence, though at the time I didn't realise that I did, and Layon…" Steve sighed. "…He loved her the way I suspect Harry loves Leena.

"Nothing would have happened though, except one day Layon came to me to ask a personal favour. He asked me to write a love letter to her, but to sign his name. He wasn't very good at writing such things. I couldn't tell him that I wasn't either. So I went to Oscar to do it for me."

Bit began to see a pattern. "But something went wrong here, right?"

Steve smiled. "You could call it that. Oscar put my name instead of Layons. It wasn't till then that I realised that I loved her, truly loved her. As it turned out, she realised that she loved me too. She told me the others were like brothers to her."

Bit could see clearly how that would have affected Layon. "And Layon never forgave you?"

Steve sighed. "No, the three of us spilt apart soon after."

Bit sighed. "You told her?"

Steve nodded. "After Leena was born, I tried to contact Layon, but he refused to take my calls. Sandra confronted me about these calls, so I had to come clean with her. I could never hold back anything from her. When she wanted something, she was as bad as Leena, sometimes worse." Bit could only shudder at the thought.

"It was her idea to host a party, and to invite Layon. She figured if the invite came from her, he'd come. We'd planed to come clean with him. To try and rebuild what had been shattered."

Now Steve's lower lip trembled. "Trouble is… she was coming back from a shopping trip to get food for the party, when bandits struck. She was using our armed Gustav, and she held them off easily. But one stray shot…" Steve swallowed. "…One stray shot hit the cliff face behind her. It had been weakened by thunderstorms over the previous week and…" he couldn't continue. It took him several minutes before he could speak again.

"I bought the Hover Cargo after that. And I had to wear the suit intended for our party at her funeral." Steve paused, his throat tight. "I not only lost a wife that night, but my life, and our third child…" Bit gasped. No wonder the Doc was sometimes a little crazy. He had lost almost everything dear to him in one night.

"I clung on to the things I still had, namely Leon, Leena, and the toys we'd bought them and our planed third child…"

And now the children had grown up, all he had left were the toys. Bit felt truly sorry for Steve.

"I'm sorry man." It seemed so…_lame._

Steve sniffed. "It's alright Bit. I needed to talk about it. It helps." He seemed to brighten up.

"Glad I was able to help."

Outside Steve's room, Leena stood with her head to the door. She had never heard the full story about how her mother had died, and this sad tale shook her to the core. She walked away to her room, mulling things over…

Inside, Steve looked up at Bit with any odd look in his eyes. "Bit, may I ask a personal favour of you?"

"Sure, anything." At that point Bit felt like doing almost anything to help Doc.

Steve took a deep breath. "Look after my little girl."

Bit's jaw dropped. "What?"

"Look after Leena. Don't deny you have feelings for her, I've seen the look in your eyes around her. It reminds me of me, nearly thirty years ago."

Bit thought about what Steve had said, considered his thoughts from the day before, and made his decision. "I will."


	4. Dresses & Discussion

**DR**: Time for some fun... and one of Leena's cookies.

**Leena**: Hey!

**DR**: don't worry Leena, Bit has the rest of them...

**Leena**: why that...(Leena runs off)

**DR**: Now, Zeke, mind telling them the disclaimer? I've got to ensure Leena doesn't kill Bit... (stalks off after her)

**Zeke**: Yippee! Dragon-Raptor doesn't own Zoids or Earthseige 2. He does own this story, since he wrote it, and any OCs in it. No money involved at all.

* * *

Chapter 4: Dresses & Discussion

Bit's truck raced across the desert road, kicking up sand as it went. The team had decided not to use the Hover Cargo as there would be nowhere to park it. A jeep would have ruined their clothing so Bit's truck was the only choice left. Fortunately there was plenty of room in the cab. The sun was low in the sky, lining the clouds with a red tinge. Ahead, the lights of Romeo City glowed softly.

Bit kept his eyes on the road, despite a strong urge to look at Leena. She had emerged from her room just before they had been due to leave, and Bit was still struggling to come to terms with her appearance. She had been dressed in a cream coloured dress that had accentuated every curve of her body, with off the shoulder straps and bell shaped skirt. Her hair had been brushed and combed out, so it now hung down around her head in one long red curved waterfall. She kept her magnetic head tails, though she did switch the tails themselves for ones that went with the dress. She had slipped a cream coloured jacket on for travelling, though it wasn't really meant to keep the cold at bay. The jacket covered her upper body but had a deep neckline, framing her cleavage. It had clearly been designed to act as a taster for what was to come.

Bit and the others were like black holes compared to her. Steve's suit showed its age, though it was still a very fine suit. Now he was wearing it the suit showed just how expensive it had been. It must have cost a small fortune. The Doc might have been older and a bit more thick set than he had when the suit was made, but such was the craftsmanship that the suit took it all in stride. He looked younger than Bit had ever seen him.

Jamie clearly was uncomfortable dressed up like this. He had made an effort, but it showed that he hadn't done this before, and had to jury-rig something together. The trousers were a slightly different shade from the jacket, and his shirt appeared slight too big. It also appeared to have been worn a lot. Bit guessed it must have been Oscars a long time ago. The tie was also too long for his small body, and the jackets cuffs were just past his wrists. He'd have to be careful around soup tonight.

Brad had pulled a very fine tuxedo out of some hole, and had even combed his hair back. He had changed from the roguish warrior to clean cut prince within an hour. He still kept his necklace on, but it didn't detract from the rest of his appearance. He also kept his boots, though they had been cleaned and polished to a slight shine.

Bit himself had pulled out the old suit his father had passed down to him. While not as well made as the Doc's it was still high quality. It had a few marks and other signs of wear, but it was very comfortable and fitted Bit easily. He knew his father had paid top Zen for it, and the myth's he had built around it. His father bought the suit for a ball, which had been where he had met his future wife for the first time. And slept with her. Ever after, each time he wore that suit he and some woman had ended up in bed together. He had believed the suit was magical. Bit doubted that. But he never said anything to dispel his father convictions.

"You should be seeing an old zoid parts store on your left up ahead." Leena said, snapping Bit back to the present. "That's were I told Leon to meet us."

Squinting, Bit could just make out a dark shape forming in front of the cities lights. As his lights crossed the shape, the fading sign proclaimed to the world that zoid parts were here to be bought or sold. Just to the side of a streetlight ahead was a jeep, with two figures within.

"There they are." Bit said as he slowed down and pulled the truck over. With a hiss of air brakes it rolled to a stop close to the jeep. As the Blitz team emerged Leon and Naomi walked over.

"Hello dad." Leon called as Steve Toros stepped down from the cab.

"My son…" Steve beamed, before grasping Leon in a fatherly hug. "Look at you!" Leon indeed had made an effort. He was dressed in a more modern tuxedo than his fathers, and he wore a red sash across his waist. He had combed his hair back and must have gelled it, since a little light was shining in it.

"Leon!" Leena cried happily as she ran into his hug.

Off to one side, Brad and Naomi stood facing each other. A slight smile played across Brad's lips.

"Naomi."

"Brad." She answered sweetly. Her hair had been brushed back to fall over one shoulder and down her back. She wore a dark jacket, Brad couldn't be sure of the colour but he guessed a deep red. Her legs seemed to be glowing however, though the rippling light stopped a few inches above the ground.

Bit watched as they both reached a hand out to touch, then realised he shouldn't really be watching. He turned to face The Toros family and stepped up to say hello.

"Hey Bit, who could have thought you could clean up so well!" Leon commented looking Bit up and down with approval.

"Thanks Leon, it's good to see you too."

Leon clapped Bit on the shoulder. "Your welcome." He gestured to the truck behind Bit. "You're the driver tonight?"

"Yea, the Hover Cargo would have been awkward to park and we couldn't have fit everyone in a jeep. Besides, it would have messed Leena up."

"Tell me about it." Leon groaned. "I had to be so careful and slow on my way here thanks to Naomi." He grinned. "Though to be fair it was worth it. Wait till you see her. She'll blow Brad right out of his socks."

"Can't wait." Bit grinned back. "Leena's really dressed up too tonight." Bit gestured to the jeep. "Listen, you want to put that in the back of my truck? It'd be safer than leaving it out here."

Leon considered it for a few seconds. "Good point. I'll bring it round."

Bit walked back to open up the rear compartment, and then he guided Leon in. Once Leon had stepped back down to the ground, Bit closed up the trailer. As he turned to return to the cab though, Leon put a hand on his arm.

"Listen Bit, I know what you meant about Leena." Bit swallowed, was Leon mad? "I know how she can make passions rise, and that dress will only make them rise faster." Leon sighed.

"I'm planning on staying close to her, to keep her out of trouble. But I doubt I can be there all night. Could you do the same, keep her safe?"

'_That's the second Toros family member asking me to look after Leena...' _Bit thought.

"Leon, I wasn't planning on leaving her side anyway." Bit could only smile.

Leon smiled back. "Good. Then I guess we'd better get going."

"Hey you guys, what's taking so long back there?" Leena called from the cabs steps. As both young men walked forward, she couldn't help but notice again how handsome Bit was tonight.

"Nothing. Just some zoid chat." Leon answered with a straight face.

X-X-X-X-X-X

"This place is HUGE!" Jamie looked around with awe at the reception.

The ZBC had chartered a grand hotel for the occasion, and the Blitz and Fluegel teams were standing in the entranceway of the main hall. The main floor was slightly lower than the door, so they were looking out over the whole room. At the far end the floor rose up again with a huge table capable of seating dozens of people on it. Along the sides small tables with snacks and drink waited, while in a balcony higher up a miniature orchestra played gentle music. Milling around the central area were dozens of people, the men dressed in tuxedos and formal suits, the women making bright splashes of colour.

"It's wonderful…" Naomi breathed, hanging on to Brads arm.

"Well, shall we mingle?" Steve prompted.

As they made their way down, various people greeted the Blitz in person. While shaking hands with the local mayor, Bit noticed that several times those greeting them were watching. Heads slowly turned and conversations paused as the Blitz/Fluegel teams walked past. Once past the old man, Bit turned to Leon.

"Why is everyone staring so?"

Leon grinned. "One, you took down the Berserker Fury, and that attracts attention. Two, we have two of the most beautiful women here in our midst."

Bit grinned in reply. Although there were other women in the hall who were as attractive, none could quite match Leena and Naomi. Leena's cream dress and red hair make such an intriguing combination, while Naomi had truly blown Brad away. She had discarded her deep red jacket at the entrance, just like Leena had hers. Naomi wore a long dress that ran from high on her neck down to her ankles. It left her back and arms bare, and had a slit from throat to waist. It was also slit up each side of her legs, running from mid-thigh down. But the most amazing thing about it was that silver threads within it were weaved with red and gold, creating a rippling fire like effect whenever she moved. Her shoes were a simple deep red like her jacket had been, and her legs were encased in black stockings.

Brad had been clearly smitten, so much so that Leena, Leon and Bit had to stifle their laughter. Leon didn't know where she had got that dress, but it must have had the desired effect, since Naomi's face had been filled with delight at seeing the look on Brad's.

Slowly the group began to fragment, as more and more people began to step forward. After several such greetings, Bit needed a drink. He worked his way over to the nearest drink table. He quick selected some chilled water; after all there was the whole evening to enjoy.

"The first time is always the worst."

Bit turned to the voice. Standing there was a young man, a bit older than Brad. His dark grey hair was combed back but still rebelled and curled a bit. His tuxedo was sharp and clean, and his face was clean-shaven. His jaw line was rounded, while the smile that graced his face reached his crystal blue eyes. A pale skinned woman clung to his right arm, her long pale brown hair falling across them both. Her dark green dress was simply cut but certainly fitted her slim form.

The man held out his hand. "Derek Calisto. Nice to finally meet you Bit Cloud."

"Thank you." Bit took the offered hand. "And you're right. All this is a little overwhelming."

"This is our fifth, and it's still overwhelming at times." He turned to the lady on his arm. "This is my wife, Anna."

"A pleasure." Bit offered. Anna simply smiled and blushed.

"Your friends certainly know how to turn heads." Derek commented, looking out over the crowd. Bit looked to see both Leena and Naomi talking to a group of pilots; Brad, Leon and Steve close by.

"Well, we're all surprised that they had those dresses." Bit chuckled. Derek laughed with him.

"I know that feeling."

Bit turned back to Derek. "So, I take it you're a successful warrior?"

"We both are." Derek replied, before taking sip from his drink. "My team, the Raiders, may not be the highest ranked in Class S, but we do alright."

"Well, I'm certainly looking forward to our first match!" Bit grinned.

"Yes, so am I. In fact, we'll be your first opponents."

Bit's jaw dropped into a grin. "Really?"

Derek grinned back. "Oh yes. Three days from now, on the Garla Dunes. You'll get an official notification sometime tomorrow. It should be a fight to remember. You won't mind if I don't wish you luck…"

"Not at all." Bit laughed. "I'll look forward to it."

"That's the spirit." Derek answered, before looking over Bit's shoulder. "Now you'll have to excuse me, there's someone I need to have a word with."

"Take care." Bit watched him go, before heading back to the Blitz. Leena he could see already had a ring of admirers, though most weren't listening to her talk. Leon was just behind her shoulder, and looked up as Bit approached. He nodded towards the other men, and then shrugged in resignation.

Bit shook his head. Leon had certainly hit the nail on the head earlier.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Derek and his wife worked their way across the hall, greeting fellow team leaders as they did so. Once they reached the wall, they made better time. As they approached a niche in the wall, Derek straightened his jacket.

"You know you don't need to do that for me." Derek almost jumped. The owner couldn't see him, so how had he known? As he stepped into the niche, Derek spotted the light stand beside it. The brass had been polished to a high finish…

"You knew it was me from a tiny sliver of reflection?" He asked incredulously.

A man chuckled from deeper in. "You should know by now how sharp eyed your ancestor is." A woman answered for him, her voice soft.

Derek sighed. _'This happens every time…'_

"I take it you met some of the Blitz already." The man asked. It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes, Bit Cloud." Derek answered.

"And?"

"I think I see why he's the Liger Zero's pilot. He's defiantly their descendent, at any rate."

"He also has strong feeling for Leena Toros." Anna put in. At Derek's glance, she shrugged. "I saw it in his eyes when you drew attention to her."

"Not surprising that." The mystery man replied. He then nodded. "Go on, go enjoy yourselves. This night is for you young pilots, not ancient old men like myself."

"Sir, you could whip anyone here several times over with one arm tied behind your back in a Gustav. And you most certainly do not look your age."

"Ah, but I feel it at times." A sigh emanated from the niche. "Maybe we'll mingle in a while. Now go enjoy the evening."

"Come on Derek." Anna tugged on her husbands arm. "Katie's here, and I need to talk to her about the latest fashions…"

Derek grinned. "Well, don't let me stop you." He watched as his wife slipped though the crowd.

"Derek."

"Yes sir." He snapped around to face the shadow.

"I appreciate your confidence in me. But don't belittle your own skills."

"Thank you sir."

The man paused. "Didn't I tell you to enjoy yourself?"

Derek grinned. "Yes sir."

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

X-X-X-X-X-X

As the evening progressed, the Blitz became wrapped up in the mood of the event. Steve Toros finally managed to put the ghosts to rest – though he could still see his wife mingling with the crowd, enjoying every second of it. _'She would have loved this.' _He thought.

"Hey, you okay?"

He looked up at the rake thin man who had questioned him.

"I'm fine… just missing my wife." The faces of the surrounding pilots and crew showed compassion.

"It was tragic. We all heard about it."

Derek had joined the group, and put a hand on Steve's shoulder. "We can't bring the dead back, but we can move on and make their lives meaningful."

Steve looked up with gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you."

Jamie found a group of aerial zoid warriors standing slightly apart from the others, and quickly felt at home. None of them begrudged his age and accepted him as equal in rank. A few had trouble believing his tale of him having an alter ego though.

"You're kidding, right? You have an alter ego who calls himself the 'Wild Eagle'?"

Jamie nodded. "When ever I'm in that Raynos, past the sound barrier, he kicks in."

"Well, your eagle certainly knows how to fly." One female pilot raised her glass. Jamie could only blush.

"Wasn't there another Wild Eagle once?" another pilot asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, my father."

Brad and Naomi had shifted away from the others, near the edge of the gathering. Here they could spend more time together. Brad couldn't keep his eyes off the radiant beauty that stood by him. He truly felt like the luckiest man on the planet.

"Brad…" said lady cooed. "…If you don't stop turning your head my way, you're going to get cramp."

"I can't help it." Brad grinned. "Maybe I should face you."

"That would work…"

"But what about all these other pilots?"

Naomi shrugged. "What about them?"

Brad thought for about a second before replying "Good point." He quickly turned to face her fully.

Bit and Leon were enjoying themselves greatly, but all the time kept a close eye on Leena. She was still surrounded by admiring young males. Wives or spouses had dragged off quite a few, but more took their place. Leena didn't mind though. She was barely aware of the fact that the men around her were not hanging on every word she said as she thought, and were instead concentrating on her figure.

"Uh oh, Bit, ten a' clock." Leon whispered to Bit. He turned and saw a man who had 'Sleazebag' written all over him. He sauntered up to Leena and produced a grin from somewhere that he must have thought was charming, but was really nothing more than a leer.

"Say babe, you have any plans after this shin-dig?"

Leena brought her head back, the better to look down her nose at him. She began to get the feeling that maybe everything was not as it seemed. "No, what's it to you?"

"Weellll…" he replied. "Maybe you and I could have a more, private discussion. What do ya say?" Several people round them groaned.

"Beat it creep!" Leena snapped. Most of the men around her backed off two steps. Except the one she was talking to.

"Oh come on darling…" He placed a hand on her waist. "…It could be great fun…"

Leena's face was now bright red, her hand clenched into a fist. "Move it or lose it buster!" Several people in the hall had turned to look. Unnoticed a man slipped out of a wall niche and made his way closer to the confrontation.

"Really? And how you going to make me?" The drunkard leered. "All up tight and…"

He near finished what he had been going to say. Leena's fist snapped his head back quite nicely. His hand fell away as his whole body fell backwards, a strangely puzzled expression on his face. People cleared space for him to fall flat on his back on the floor with a very satisfying thud.

Bit and Leon reached her sides. "You okay?" Bit asked.

"That, that…" Leena was still trembling with rage. "…That _animal_ touched me! And he…"

"We heard." Leon muttered, glaring darkly at the man in question.

All three noticed the man who had worked his way from the wall. He looked down at the drunkard and heaved a deep, long suffering sigh. "When will you ever learn?" he muttered before looking up at them.

Bit was struck by the contrast in the man face. His features were almost youthful, his jaw rounded off and he had a little excess flesh over his cheeks. His short cut dark hair curled near the edges, and a hint of stubble showed on his chin. But his crystal blue eyes shone with age and wisdom. They spoke of an incredible life, filled with joy and sorrow, elation and terror. Most of all though they belied a great age, one who seen much more than any other person that Bit knew.

"Ma'am, I apologise profusely for this incident. This…" he kicked the unconscious form at his feet. "…Reprobate is a disgrace to all those in Class S. If we could kick him out, we would. But his family have connections." He looked back down at the man on the floor. "Too many pesky connections."

ZBC guards finally made their way over to the spot. After groans all round, along with a few muttered curse's directed at the fallen man, two of them lifted then dragged him off. The first man turned back to the Blitz team.

"Once again, I apologise for the incident. Enjoy the rest of the evening." He winked then, with a lopsided smile, walked away.

"Who… Who was that guy?" Leena asked, "He was… nice."

"The fool who was being such a jerk, nice right by the way…" Derek commented as he strode up. "…Is called Daniel Brown. He tries that same routine with just about every female around, regardless of age or if their married or not. No one likes him, but we have to put up with him. Got into Class S simply because he's the relation of one of the ZBC Board members."

"And the other man?" Bit asked his eyes narrow.

Derek hesitated for a second. "He's… the head of security for these events. Sometimes people are not so willing to let rivalry stay on the battlefield. He's tasked with ensuring that things stay under control."

Bit didn't buy it for a minute, and from the looks on their faces, neither did Leon, Brad or Naomi. Before they could pry further though, a gong rang out.

"Ah," Derek stated, stepping back. "Dinner is served. Shall we?"

**

* * *

DR:** Leena's got a mean right hook eh? ;) Now, on to that most important thing... 

**Bit & Leena**: FOOD! (DR winces at their shout)


	5. Dine & Dance by Candlelight

**DR**: Now that my ears are working again, let us continue full speed ahead. !Warning! Mushy romance fluff ahead!

**Raven**: Romance, Bah! Who needs that fluff?

**DR**: Raven, shouldn't you be cuddling with Resse right about now? (Waves hand)

**Raven**: Ha! Your mind tricks don't work on me!

**DR**: Unless I roll a 6 on this D6 (rolls dice, gets a 6. Raven looks blank, then walks off to find Resse)

**DR**: Don't you just love being god? Shadow, mind doing the disclaimer?

**Shadow**: Dragon-Raptor does not own Zoids or it characters, nor does he own Earthseige 2.

**DR**: Thank you Shadow, here's a cookie (tosses a cookie to Shadow)

**Shadow**: (munch!)

* * *

Chapter 5: Dine & Dance by Candlelight

It wasn't a dinner; it was a banquet fit for a host of kings. Trays of food from all across Zi were passed around. Great sections of cow ribs were sliced up for the diners, while bowls large enough to bath in full of salads were rolled past. Mixed in with the fine food was more simple fare, catering for all tastes. There was also the hot, spicy food that could be found in any takeaway, though these dishes had clearly been prepared with care and love. Small fountains were set at strategic points, dispensing wines and water from their many spouts.

What had appeared to be a single massive table from the entrance was in fact an intricate web of small curved sections and access ways. The team marvelled at the thought that had obviously gone into the design of the table. Every one had someone else sitting across from them and could easily reach across. May couples took advantage of this and sat facing each other. Bit decided it would be best to sit across from Leena, who he had managed, with Steve and Leon's help, to sit near one of the spar ends. As they sat down Bit noticed another curious, but welcome facet of the tables design: No one cramped another. There was room to pull out chairs and move around easily.

After all the diners had been seated, the main lights had been dimmed, allowing the candles scattered on the table to light the meal. It really was conductive to a romantic evening, and as the meal progressed Bit found it harder to not simply sit there and watch Leena. The candlelight reflected off her skin in ways that fired his mind. Mindful that this was a formal dinner with strangers, both of them went to great pains to eat slowly and neatly.

"Do they always go to such great lengths at these events?" Naomi asked her fellow diners.

"Most of the time." One replied before taking a sip of his wine. He had introduced himself as Deuce, Leader of the Hailfire team.

"Some of the smaller events don't go to such amounts or variety of food, when there's only us pilots. But at these larger ones, when we have chairmen of businesses, Board members of the ZBC, royalty…"

"Royalty?" Brad questioned from his place across from Naomi.

"Sure. See the central area?" Both Bard and Naomi looked. Sure enough there was a central section that was slightly separate from the others. The people sitting around were mostly older men, but a few younger people were intermingled. The most striking pair was sitting across from each other. The man had a high hat on, while dark red robes covered his body, edged in purple and gold. His female counterpart wore a deep red dress that showed her off complexion, and she wore quite a bit of jewellery. The most striking of which was a large ruby that sat in a heavy looking gold necklace.

"See the two in red?" Brad nodded. "That there is the Emperor of the Guylos Empire, along with his wife."

"No…" Naomi breathed.

"Believe it. Guy's a zoid battle freak, loves watching the fights. He would fight too if he wasn't Emperor."

As Brad watched, the man from before walked up to the royal couple. The Emperor, seeing him, stood up and bowed before him. The other man waved him off, before grinning and embracing the Emperor. He turned to the Empress and formally kissed her knuckle. Even from this distance Brad could see she was flushed.

"That man with the royal pair, who is he?"

Deuce looked across, and then shrugged. "No idea. He hangs around these events, mostly on the sidelines, watching. Some kind of big shot though, since just about everyone shows respect to him. Rarely seen the rest of the year. Rumour has it he's a warrior, the best ever."

"Don't mention that to Bit Cloud: he'd likely challenge him just to see if it's true."

Deuce laughed loudly. "Challenge…" His laughter subsided. "The last man to challenge him was thrown out of one of these events for trying to feel up the woman friend… there she is now." The three watched as a tall brunette stepped up behind the mystery man. He turned round and warmly embraced her.

"Anyhow, this guy takes exception to being thrown out. So he lays down the challenge. So off they go into the desert…" Deuce leaned forward. "…Dude had a well tooled up Zaber Fang when he went out. Came back a couple hours later on foot, the weirdest expression on his face. If I had to pin it down, I'd say it was something between shock, reverence, and terror." Deuce leaned back, spearing a slice of meat as he did so.

"Some of us tried to ask him what happened, but he refused. Said he had had to sign a contract of silence. Couldn't tell a soul what he had faced. The Zaber Fang turned up a day or so later. It had been really bashed around. I doubt there was single square centimetre of armour left undamaged on it. Our mystery man however had it all fixed up for the challenger, funny huh?"

"Yea, funny." Brad commented, looking at the man in question with a frown. Naomi was also watching him, but was mainly seeing how he interacted with the woman. When they shared passionate kiss, she sighed.

Brad, noticing Naomi's sigh, turned towards her. "Jealous?"

"No."

Brad smirked. "Later, after our meal."

Naomi's face lit up. "Okay, I can wait." She mock frowned. "But not all evening."

X-X-X-X-X-X

After the meal, the ZBC chairman tapped his glass with a knife as he stood. "I'll keep this brief, since I know you all well enough not to bore you with a long speech." Polite laughter and chuckles drifted across the diners.

"Firstly, welcome to the new season of Class S. We are particularly pleased to welcome the team that almost single-handedly took down the Backdraft, and defeated the 'King of Unsanctioned Battles'. Ladies and gentleman, it gives me great pleasure to honour our newest comrades, the Blitz Team!"

Applause filled the room as all the people gathered gave vent to their feelings. Bit basked in it, Leena beamed radiantly, and Jamie blushed even redder. Brad at first showed no outward response, but Naomi fixed that by pull his head forward for a kiss. The applause disintegrated into laughter at the look on Brads face when they parted, a mixture of confusion and joy. Once the noise level died down enough, the chairman continued.

"I hope that you'll find your time in Class S to be a challenge worthy of such warriors. I expect all teams to give us their very best performance this year. Which leads me onto more serious business," the chairman sobered up. The gathered pilots noticed this and turned serious.

"As you all know, the Backdraft didn't use any rules in their fights. What you may not know is how they kept functioning. Their sponsors donated huge amounts of money because the Backdraft enabled them to place wagers on the outcome of each battle. Since we outlawed such gambling years ago, the Backdraft had a strong source of income." Here the chairman paused, before glancing to his left. Bit followed his look to a small table off to one side. Sitting there was the man from before, his female companion sitting besides him. He nodded back at the Chairman.

"A wise man once said; 'To defeat an enemy, one must not only defeat them in battle. You must destroy their means of waging war, so that they can't replace and rebuild their forces. Without support, ammunition or fuel, even the best armies crumble.' Last year the Blitz Team tore the heart out of the Backdrafts' front line troops. Now we will cut them off at the source." The Chairman straightened up and braced himself.

"To do so, for this year - on a trail basis – the ZBC has decided to allow a 'limited' form of gambling on the outcomes of Class S battles. If the measures we have put in place to prevent the dangerous side effects of gambling work, then the ZBC may extend the system to the rest of zoid battles." The chamber was deafly silent. The Chairman pushed on.

"It is our hope that without their source of funds, the Backdraft will wither and die. And now…" The Chairman's mood brightened again. "…One final piece of good news." He gestured to the young Guylos Emperor, who now rose up from his seat. He pulled his wife up with him gently.

"I have the privilege to report that Emperor Nicholas the Third of Guylos will in a few months have an heir to his throne!" As the assembled pilots cheered, the Emperor bowed gracefully, before sweeping his wife up in a passionate kiss. Her face was almost as red as her dress, but the smile that lit up her face showed the flush was from embarrassment rather than anger.

"And now, let us all allow the expectant couple to lead us onto the floor." As the Emperor and Empress worked their way out of the central eating area, all the pilots rose up in respect. Many called out well wishes and congratulations. Along the route the Emperor shook hands with many of the pilots. Bit found Leena staring at the couple as they headed their way.

"They do make a handsome couple don't they?"

"Indeed they do…" She breathed.

Slowly the gathered pilots moved from the table to the main hall. There they lined the walls while the Emperor and his wife took the centre. As the music drifting down from above lifted in volume, they began to dance slowly, staring into each other's eyes.

As the dance continued, other couples began to join them, twirling out in step. Brad watched as Derek and his wife Anna slipped out and joined the slowly growing group in the centre. He turned to Naomi standing besides him. She looked at him too.

"Well?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.

Brad took a step out. "Shall we?" He held out his hand.

Smiling deeply, she took his hand. "I better warn you; I haven't done this much."

"Well, I never have." Brad grinned back. "Guess we'll just have to improvise."

Bit grinned broadly as he watched Brad and Naomi drift in. Most of the gathered people were now on the dance floor. The few who weren't generally were older or alone. But they too showed that they were enjoying the dance, in spirit if not in body.

"There he is again." Leena muttered.

"Huh?" Bit turned to see what she had. The mystery man was now joining the dance, his lady friend besides him. Her vibrant crimson gown made a striking contrast to his dark tux and blue shirt, but they fitted together perfectly. They fell in step with the rhythm and the music instinctively; even when they couldn't see each other they knew where the other was. It was clear that they had done this many, many times before.

Bit looked at Leena and grinned at the expression on her face as she watched the pair. He gripped her hand and pulled her towards him gently. "Come on, your turn."

Leena's face was shocked, but over her shoulder Bit could see Leon grinning wide enough to fit the Liger. He gave Bit thumbs up.

"You sure about this? If you touch me wrong…" Her voice turned threatening.

"…I'll end up like the other guy." Bit finished.

"Just so we're clear."

X-X-X-X-X-X

The dancing continued for most of the evening. The music set the pace, and it varied each time. Slow, romantic rhythms faded into faster, more energetic prose. There was music for couples alone, and groups. Throughout Brad stayed with Naomi. The Emperor and his wife went along with most of the songs, while the ZBC Chairman sat on the sidelines, sipping his drink and smiling gently.

During a break Bit watched the mystery man walk to just below the musicians' balcony, before pulling a mike from a case and speaking into it. He must have got a satisfactory answer, since he quickly replaced the mike and return to his lady, standing in the centre of the hall with an amused expression on her face.

Once together, the man looked up at the conductor and nodded. As he turned back to his companion, a fast paced string based melody began to play. Maracas, violins and guitars created a sweeping song that fired the blood.

For the two in the centre, it was like someone had flicked a switch. They both broke into motion, again with that perfectly in step nature. They were the only dancers this time: everyone else watched from the sidelines. It was a good thing though, as the two were using a large amount of the floor space.

The whole Blitz team was spell bound. None of them had ever seen this level of dance and rhyme. While she was the most graceful of the pair, he was no clunker, and danced with a passion. Neither held anything back from this clearly demanding piece.

All too soon it ended, the music finishing on a high note. The pair stood in the centre, perfectly still, as if frozen the moment the music ceased. He stood straight up, tall and proud. She ended pressed against him, one arm over his shoulder, one leg raised up. He held the raised leg by the knee, while his other arm was wrapped around her back. As the gathered warriors cheered, whistled and applauded, the two of them shared another slow, passionate kiss.

"Beautiful." Steve Toros said gently, as the two in the centre slowly parted to acknowledge their audience. The other members of the team were simply too awed to speak. Bit slowly came to, and suddenly realised he had an arm round Leena's waist. A feeling of dread began to coil up in his gut, slowly working its way up his throat. He began to peel his hand away…

"Bit, don't…" Leena's whisper stopped him is his tracks.

"Don't? Don't what?" Bit was thoroughly confused.

Leena laughed gently. "Bit, sometimes you are so dense." She snuggled closer to him, resting her head on his chest. "Don't move. I like it here…"

"Okay…" Bit breathed before letting his hand return to its previous place.

"Don't get let this give you any funny ideas though…" She warned.

"Promise." Bit laughed. He looked up at Leon, who raised his glass to him. As Bit turned his head to look at Doc, he noticed someone was missing. No, make that two people were missing…

"Say, where'd Brad and Naomi go?" He asked aloud.

X-X-X-X-X-X

They stood together on the exterior balcony, wrapped in each other's arms. The hotel that the ZBC had chartered overlooked the river that ran besides the city, and it glowed with one full moon and one half moon. From the open doors music drifted down the corridor from the main hall. They had slipped away to just be alone together. Since they had found this balcony they hadn't moved from it. Nor had they bothered to keep an eye on the time. For them, the night was timeless.

"It's beautiful tonight…" Naomi breathed, as she looked out over the still surface of the river.

"You're more so." Brad replied. She looked up at him, her eyes wide and liquid.

"Really?" Her voice was one of a little girl desperate to gain approval.

"Really." Brad smiled down at her face as she rested against his chest.

They stood there for several minutes, staring into each other's eyes, unaware of the passage of time. Finally Brad broke the silence.

"Naomi…" He began, his heart in his throat.

"Yes Brad…" She replied in an almost dream like state.

"…I think I, I mean I'm pretty sure…" Brad stuttered.

"What…?" Naomi continued to gaze into his eyes, a spark of hope dancing in her own. Was he going to say those few words that she had dreamed about since shortly after they had first met?

"…I…" Brad swallowed again, and then he managed to force the words out past his swollen tongue.

"…I love you…"

Naomi felt like both crying and jumping for joy. She felt her heart soar far above the clouds, almost to the moons themselves. With tears running down her face she straightened before pulling his head towards her to kiss him.

As they kissed, Brad felt the last of his doubts crumble and vanish. He tightened his grip on her so she could never leave, as his heart blasted out so loud he was amazed the whole building didn't collapse. With their heads locked together, they were only aware of each other. Even if the Ultimate Death Saurer itself had appeared besides the building neither would have noticed.

All too soon though they had to part to breathe. He loosed his grip enough to give her room, but no way in hell was she leaving his arms. But Brad doubted she would want to, not after a kiss like that had been.

"I take it that means…"

"Brad..." She whispered, putting one finger on his lips. "…I love you too, but for now, shut up." And with that she replaced her finger with her mouth again. Once again both warriors lost track of everything but the one person they were holding. All the weapons in the world could have gone off around them, and neither would have flinched or moved. Locked together, they were blind, deaf and frozen.

That was how Leon found them. He and Jamie had volunteered to look for their wayward teammates as the night was getting late and most of the gathered pilots were beginning to drift off back to their bases and homes. The Guylos Emperor and his wife had already left in his personal transport, while the ZBC Chairman had to be carried out to his. He had been sampling the wines all evening. Most of the other pilots needed a little help to walk straight, but none were in terrible shape.

Leon watched the pair, a smile on his face. He had known about Naomi's affections for Brad for a long time now. He had seen her collection of paper cuttings she kept in what she thought was her secret drawer. Any printed shot of Brad or his zoid was cut out and placed there. Like a small shrine dedicated to the most famous mercenary on Zi. There was talk that Brad might eventually drop that title, since he seemed perfectly happy with the Blitz team and showed no sign of leaving for another team. Leon wished them both all the happiness they deserved. But he was going to have to interrupt their moment together soon. The Blitz needed to return to their base, and Naomi still had a ton of paperwork to get though before the season started.

"Leon why aren't you…oh." Leon looked over his shoulder to see a very red faced Jamie standing there, his eyes fixed on the couple outside. Shaking his head, Leon turned back before stepping onto the balcony. He waited until they parted again for breath before coughing gently.

"Brad, Naomi…" He gently asked his head bowed. Motion in their shadows showed that they had turned their heads to face him. "I'm sorry but it's time to leave."

Brad and Naomi looked at each other once more before, arm in arm they left the balcony behind.

**

* * *

DR:** Things are heating up... (insert evil grin) 

**Brad**: Damn straight!

**DR**: (Glares at Brad) shouldn't you be with Na'?

**Brad**: Good point! (disappears)

**DR**: Just a heads up, for that dance between our Mystery Man & his lady friend, think the dance done by Antoino Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones in the film 'Mask of Zorro'.


	6. Night & Morning

**DR**: Here we are, Chapter 6. For those of you re-reading this, this is about where the changes really start to occur. Enjoy!

**Zeke**: OWW! Shadow, get of my foot!

**Shadow**: Well move it then!

**Moonbay**: Quiet you two, it's starting!

* * *

Chapter 6: Night & Morning

As the truck hurtled into the night, Bit once again sat in the driving seat. He had purposely stayed mostly sober since he wanted to keep an eye on Leena, to ensure she didn't get into trouble. Besides someone had to drive back, and he did have far more experience at driving this vehicle than any of the others.

He quickly looked over his shoulder at the others. Steve Toros sat back in his seat, a gentle smile on his face. Brad and Naomi sat side by side, snuggled together. Jamie sat across from them, his face as red as her Gunsniper as he stared out the window. Leena was sitting besides Leon, and was using his shoulder as a pillow. She had fallen asleep almost as soon as they had set off.

'_An evening full of good food, wine and dance will do that to anyone.'_ Bit thought as he concentrated on the dirt road ahead. Even with the trucks lights on full, the darkness outside was almost complete. There was only a vague shape of the surrounding landscape against the night sky. Luckily Bit had always had a talent for finding his way around even in the pitch black of a Zi night. Soon ahead he could see the shape of the entrance to the valley were the Blitz Team was based. Within a half hour the lights of the base were shining up ahead.

The Doc raised his remote as they approached the hanger doors. Upon pressing a button, the door slowly opened enough to allow the truck to pass though with room to spare. Bit quickly pulled over to his usual spot. As he climbed out, he looked up at the Ligers head high above.

"Hi partner, we're back." A gentle growl was his reply.

Back in Romeo City, Leon had made the call that he and Naomi would spend the night with the Blitz before heading back to their base the next day. After taking one look at Brad and Naomi, Steve had agreed. Now the whole group made their way into the human section of the base.

"I'm afraid the spare rooms aren't set up…" Began Steve

"That's all right dad. I'll sleep on the couch." Leon answered, a yawn punctuating his reply.

"But what about…" The Doc trailed off as Brad and Naomi continued to walk into the sleeping corridor without letting go of each other. "…Never mind." He turned to Bit.

"Bit, umm, would you mind carrying Leena to her room?" He asked hesitantly.

"Sure Doc." He replied before scooping up the sleeping redhead from the couch. Terrified of waking her, he gently carried her to her room.

Once inside he gently lowered her down onto the bed. A part of his mind noted that he had never been in her room before, and that he should be taking a good look around. But he ignored that small voice. He gently brushed her hair back.

"Good night Leena." He whispered, before ever so gently kissing her on her forehead.

As he left, he didn't notice her roll onto her side and whisper something so quietly that most people wouldn't have heard it unless they had their ear next to her head.

"Bit…"

X-X-X-X-X-X

Later that night, only one person was still awake; Brad. He sat with his back leaning on the headboard. Naomi lay snuggled in next to him, her head on his bare chest. Their clothes lay scattered on the floor. Brad noticed with some amusement that her 'fire' dress glowed in the pale moonlight as it filtered though the window.

He looked down with a teasing remark on his lips, but she was fast asleep. Gently caressing her bare shoulder, Brad watched as she slept.

It hadn't been planed, it had just happened. Neither had come back here with the intent to sleep with the other, but once they had arrived at the Blitz base it had seemed like the most natural thing in the world. They had come together, each stoking the others passion, till they had been consumed by it. The moonlight had played across their bare skins as they had entwined together, words no long needed or wanted. They had both desired the other, and nothing else would have done. They had come together with their blood afire, until they were one single being. Each caress had been electrical, each kiss a flood. They had become a living, breathing monument to passion. The feel of her bare skin, her gentle warmth, had driving him to give his all until he had nothing left.

Brad had never experienced anything like it before. While he wasn't inexperienced, and he guessed Naomi must have had partners before, that night had been far more powerful than anything that had come before. Both of them had been shocked at the level of passion they felt, and had felt more complete that at anytime in the past. Brad's mind still reeled from the feelings that she had awakened within him.

All his life Brad had been a loner. While he was everything but an assigned member of the Blitz team now, Brad still thought of himself as a mercenary. He had a home here, but it was by no means permanent. If someone were to offer him a better rate of pay, he would take the offer very seriously.

But deep down, he knew that he would not take the offer. The Blitz Team had its faults, but nothing happened around them that were dull or boring. The Blitz had as much action and adventures in a single week as most other teams got in a whole year. The Blitz always attracted the greatest challenges, the best fights, and the most danger. Although Brad was mainly in the business for the money, he was also in it for the thrills. He never let it show, but during tough battles his blood sang. The feeling of battle with a worthy opponent was one that until tonight was unmatched in his broad experience.

Brad again looked down at the sleeping beauty besides him. He gently kissed the top of her head. Moaning slightly in her sleep, Naomi shifted so that she was even more pressed against him, one leg thrown over his. Smiling to himself Brad laid back.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The Blitz team were slow to wake up the next morning. Last nights event had drained a lot out of all of them. The sun was well up before Bit staggered up. Holding his head in his hands, Bit tried to fight down the pounding headache he had. _'Man, they weren't kidding when they said that punch had one hell of a kick…'_ Seeing how mental effort alone was failing to ease the hangover, Bit decided to use other means to combat it. Grabbing his towel, he made his way to the bathroom. As he stood beneath the shower, Bit could feel the water wash away his hangover. Sighing with relief, he began to wash. Though the hall had been cool, he had built up an amount of sweat from all the activity.

Feeling refreshed and more human once the shower was done, Bit walked though to the kitchen. To his surprise, no one else was up yet. Normally either Jamie or Brad would be up by now.

Bit chuckled. Jamie had been careful, but he was short, so any alcohol would have affected him longer than other people. And Brad had 'company' with him. Bit doubted that either Brad or Naomi would be seen for some time yet.

Fixing himself a hot chocolate, Bit wandered back into the central lounge. Sitting down on one sofa, Bit glanced at the sleeping form of Leon across from him before grabbing the latest paper from the delivery tray. Sipping his drink, he scanned the headlines.

Not surprisingly, the Chairman's announcement last night was making the front pages. Bit read with amusement the articles that questioned the ZBC boards' judgement, stated the Backdraft was finished, and discussed the pros and cons of gambling. The central pages were dedicated to the whole set of new rules the ZBC was going to use for their trial this year. Bit read that section very carefully.

As he read, he began to see the great care and intelligence that had gone into crafting these rules and safeguards. The core idea was simple; the amount one could wager over the whole year was a percentage of your income, adjusted by your holdings. The theory was that people with higher incomes or had large savings could afford to risk more, while the poorer people – who were more likely to become trapped in the failings of gambling – could only afford a lesser sum. The safeguards put in place were clearly set up to protect the punters. It would also create a whole set of new jobs in the ZBC, though the person behind these safeguards did stress that the selection process had to be very strict, to ensure that only the right type of people were put in those positions, since they would have open to them the chances to bypass the rules. 'Only those with a large amount of Moral Fibre should be considered for these posts, and only those who are strict with themselves should get the offers.' The paper didn't go into the full details, but the bits they did showed just how carefully this system had been planed. It also, unsurprisingly, showed where the money the punters lost would go. The ZBC would get a modest chunk, but the majority was to be sent straight to charities, research centres and schooling. It was an ironic twist that lost wagers would be used to pay for children's education and the continued studies about the ancient zoidian race.

Bit began to wonder about just 'whom' had written these rules when Leon stirred. Yawning widely, he sat up slowly, the light blanket he had been covered with falling to his waist. He turned so that he was sitting straight on the couch as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Morning Leon." Bit said brightly. Leon simply groaned in response.

"Rough night?" Another groan.

"Want some coffee?"

Leon groaned again, this time with a positive note. Laughing quietly, Bit stood up and returned to the kitchen to set the coffee machine going. A lot of coffee was going to be in demand before the morning was over.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Naomi slowly drifted awake. Her dreams had been wonderful, but reality proved to be much better. She found her head resting on Brad's chest; their body's entwined after the greatest night of passion she had felt ever. She twisted enough to look up at his face.

"Morning sleepy beauty." He teased. She simply stretched up to quickly kiss him in reply.

After they parted, Brad had an amused expression on his face.

"I thought the prince had to kiss the girl awake?"

"Who said we have to stand on tradition?" She smiled back.

Brad couldn't think of a come back for that, so he did the next best thing. Bending over, he gave her another kiss. This one lasted a lot longer than the last, and began to fire their passions again.

"Brad…" Naomi murmured around his mouth. "…Do we have to get up today?"

He looked over at the clock on the bedside. "Not for a while at least…"

That was enough for her. Wrapping her arms round him she dragged him back down to her.

X-X-X-X-X-X

It was getting on for midday when all the sleepers were out and about. After fixing some coffee, Bit had dressed before taking the Liger for a run. Leon had sat with his mug held in both hands, letting the steam caress his face. It could have been burning his eyebrows away for all he cared since it tasted wonderful and did wonders for his head.

Later on Jamie had staggered though from his room, followed closely by Steve. The Doc had gone straight for the coffee while Jamie had decided to work off the fog in his head with the last of the paperwork that needed to be completed before the start of the season. Leena had emerged from the shower soon after, wrapped in a fluffy dressing gown. She had grabbed a cookie from her store before plonking down besides Leon. "That was some night…" She started.

Leon, now fully awake, nodded. "Sure was. I'm glad you invited me little sister."

She grinned back. "Brad and Naomi sure enjoyed themselves. They still in there?"

Leon nodded again, a grin spreading across his face.

"Should have known. She really went all out last night…" There was genuine respect in her voice. It surprised Leon since Leena had never really got on with his boss, though fortunately Naomi did not reciprocate the feelings. And to be fair it had generally been about battlefield tactics rather than personal interests. Leon suspected that having Naomi around a bit more would have a positive effect on his sister. She had never really had a chance to get to know their mother, and that must have affected her deeply.

"Mind you, I almost fainted when I woke up this morning."

"Huh? Why?"

Leena rolled her eyes. "I'd forgotten that I'd worn that dress! Why did I? I mean it's so not me!"

"I don't know, you wore it very well…"

"That's not the point! I never dress up like that for anything!" Leena exclaimed. "Why on Zi would I wear something that…"

"Suggestive?" Leon joked. Then he realised that might not have been such a good idea.

"Leon!" Leena snapped, her face bright red, before clouting him hard across the shoulder. The force from the blow nearly knocked him out of the couch. Jamie raised an eyebrow before stepping into the kitchen. He'd decided not to bother with a breakfast and instead simply produce a larger, slightly early lunch. Certainly Leon and Naomi would want something before leaving.

"Maybe you were trying to impress someone?" Leon suggested, rubbing his shoulder.

"Maybe…" she mused. "But who, and why?"

"Well, I could make a few guesses…" Leon began, but the look on her face stopped that line fast. However Leon had the experience to see that Leena wasn't just annoyed. She was embarrassed. Leon suspected he knew the answer, but she would never admit it readily.

Just then, the faint sound of the Liger's roar came from the hanger. Bit was back. Leena looked at the clock, then to the kitchen. "Just in time for lunch, as always…" She muttered her face still red tinged.

Bit soon stepped though from the hanger, greeting those who had been asleep when he left. He was all fired up and full of energy, which didn't go down so well with Steve or Leena. Leon did notice that when she thought no one was watching her Leena would follow Bit around with her eyes.

Leon was about to comment, despite the pain it would cause, when the final two partygoers drifted in. They had an arm round each other, and Leon noted that Naomi was wearing what must have been one of Brads T-shirts. She certainly didn't have one of those with her last night. Brad had changed back to his regular clothing.

"Ah, the love birds finally grace us with their presence." Bit joked, grinning from ear to ear. "So Brad, what happened?"

"None of your business Bit." Brad shot back, his eyes never leaving Naomi's. Bit's face fell.

"Wha-at? You're not going to share any tales with us?" He stammered. "No scandalous gossip?"

Naomi shrugged before turning to Bit. "Here's a tale you'll be interested in. It concerns a blond haired pilot of a certain white Liger who asked too many questions…"

Bit clearly got the hint. "Okay! I'll shut up!"

"Wise choice."

Before anything else could be said, Jamie stepped out of the kitchen. He carried a tray covered with small plates of cold meat and bread. There were also two mugs with steam rising from them. Setting it down on the central table, he pushed the mugs towards Brad and Naomi. "Hope you like it strong at this time, since we're all out of milk."

"That's fine. If you hadn't done some already, I was going to ask for really strong coffee anyway." Naomi thanked him before hefting her mug and taking a delicate sip. Her eyes closed and she sighed loudly. "Ohh, that's better…"

Brad meanwhile drained his mug in one single, slow draught. The others gathered round watched spell bound as he downed an entire mug of steaming hot coffee with as much ease as lifting a paper. Finally he lowered the mug, before holding it out to Jamie.

"Thanks, I'll have another of those."

Leon's jaw was hanging, while Jamie simply shook his head before taking the mug back to the kitchen for a refill. After working his jaw a few times, Leon was able to speak again. "And I thought you were bad about coffee boss…" Naomi just smiled sweetly.

Soon Brad's display with the coffee faded from thought as the gathered pilots nibbled the food before them. They were still a little full from the feast the previous night. Soon they began to discuss the up coming season and things that had cropped up. A couple of hours passed before anyone noticed. Even Bit and Leena were able to discuss something without tempers – or rather Leena's – flaring. Naomi and Brad generally kept quiet, content simply to sit together. During a break Steve noticed the main screen had a blinking light again.

"Hey, we've got mail again!" Quickly he stepped up to the console and punched in commands. The mail unfolded into the standard ZBC issued notice of a scheduled battle. Attached was an extra document.

"We've got our first battle! It's against…"

"Derek Calisto's Raider team, on the Garla Dunes in a little under three days." Bit interrupted excitedly. When he saw everyone looking at him, he frowned. "What? I met him at the dinner last night. He told me himself. Said official notification would be coming though soon."

Doc nodded. "That's correct. It's a 0982, and the zoid limit is four. Jamie, you'll have to polish up on your flying en-route."

"Okay."

"So how much are we getting for this battle? And just where are the Garla Dunes?" Brad asked calmly. He winked to Naomi, making sure that only she could see.

"The winner's prize is… 8,000 credits." Leena and Leon whistled. That was almost four times the amount handed out in Class A. "And the Garla Dunes…" Steve pulled up a map from the database. It quickly located the spot, and calculated a travel time based on the Hover Cargo's best average speed. "…Is out here. We'll have to leave before tonight to make it on time for the match."

"Drat." Brad cursed under his breath. He had been hoping to spend a little more time with Naomi before the season started.

"Well team, we'd best start packing!" Doc Toros was all happy now the season was starting.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Later that day both the Hover Cargo and Naomi's jeep left the Blitz Team base. The Hover Cargo turned south towards the distant Garla Dunes, while Leon turned the Jeep northeast, heading back towards the Fluegel team's home. Naomi sat in the passenger seat, one again in her fire dress with jacket, watching the massive Hover Cargo disappear over the horizon. She sighed deeply.

"Don't worry about Brad." Leon reassured her. "He can take care of himself."

"I know he can…" Naomi replied quietly.

"And besides, with all that happened last night, I doubt he's going to look for another woman to sleep with…" Leon grinned, as Naomi swung round to face him.

"He'd better!"

"Naomi, lighten up. Brad's coming back to you."

On that note, she turned back to the desert. The Hover Cargo had disappeared behind a ridgeline, but she still stared anyway.

**

* * *

Moonbay:** ahh... that's so sweet... 

**DR**: Next chapter, we'll have the event you've all been waiting for: The Blitz Vs the Raiders!


	7. Battle, Advice & Reflection

**DR**: Okay, it's time to rumble!

**Shadow**: All right!

**Ambient**: About damn time... (DR & Shadow stare at Ambient)

**DR: **You're meant to be dead! (Ambient grins evilly)

**DR**: Well, we'll soon fix that... (Ambient stops grinning as DR waves magic writers wand(tm). Ambient disappears in puff of red smoke)

**Shadow**: Good riddance.

**Disclaimer**: I think you all know the drill by now...

* * *

Chapter 7: Battle, Advice & Reflection

With a roar the Liger Zero landed with a shower of sand on the ground, before stepping up to it's place besides the Gunsniper and the Shadow Fox. Jamie's Raynos hovered just overhead, small dust devils behind it. The glare of it engines reflected in the laser blades of the Liger Zero's Schneider armour set. All four zoids had benefited from the long break since the Royal Cup. They were now as good as new and raring for action.

Inside the liger's cockpit, Bit shifted in his seat. He was all psyched up for this battle and raring to go. In fact he had been psyching himself up for this ever since the formal dinner when Derek Calisto had first told him about the match. After two day's travel they were finally about to begin a new season in Class S.

"Any sight of the other team?"

"Nothing yet" drawled Brad.

"You're not even looking at your scanner!" Snapped Leena. It was true; Brad was leaning back in his seat, hands behind his head. "Still dreaming of that night with Naomi I bet!"

Brad frowned, and would have snapped off a sharp reply before Jamie interrupted. "Heads up, here they are."

Bit looked forward, to see a golden blob rising over a distant sand dune. Engaging the Ligers long distance optics, the image resolved into a set of almost vertical plates. As he watched, a dark green humped back appeared beneath them, bracketed by an array of guns.

"A Gordos," Brad commented. "Rarely see one of those in a battle. Too slow for most use, and their class five zoids. Expensive."

"What's with the golden back plates?" Leena asked her tone puzzled.

Before anyone could answer though a second zoid began to appear. This one was much more recognisable. There were very few zoids with an array of heavy cannons like that. Quickly the Dibison's horned head appeared, just before the Gordos tiny, low slung head cleared the dune.

"That Bison's got a custom weapon job." Stated Jamie. "They replaced the cheek missile pods with what looks like lasers…" Jamie trailed off though as a third appeared. It was a deep red, with silver trim and weapons. Behind its feline head it mounted a twin pulse cannon with mortar top pod and side missile packs. Above each of its shoulders a small cannon was fitted, and the long sliver fangs hanging from its' upper jaw – which gave the zoid its' name – glittered in the sunlight.

"Okay, a Zaber Fang, a Dibison and a Gordos. Nothing we can't handle." Bit stated. Liger roared in agreement.

As if in answer, there was another Ligers roar from the other team, just as a blue mass appeared on the flank of the Dibison. The Blade Ligers rich blue body was contrasted by the silver highlights in its head fins and the golden teeth and electrical blades. The underlying components glinted slightly bronze in the light.

"…Oh'kay." Was all Bit could stammer out, as the Blitz Team watched as the other team arranged themselves. The Gordos took point, while the Zaber Fang and the Blade Liger took the flanks. The Dibison hunkered down, clearly setting up a bombardment pose. While the Zaber Fang and the Dibison were familiar foes, their clearly custom weapon load outs meant they could have a few surprises up their sleeves. The Blade Liger would be a serious problem, since they were so formidable in close combat. And Bit had never fought a Gordos before, so he didn't have a clue what it could do. About the only thing he knew about them was that they were both slow and heavy.

At that point the Judge capsule made it's landing on a nearby bluff overlooking the battlefield. Quickly it freed itself from the small crater its landing had made before opening up to reveal the Judge itself. After a second the judge began its pre-battle speech.

"**The surrounding 60 miles is now a designated Zoid battlefield. Only contestants and support personal are allowed entrance. Danger!"** The Judge scanned the area and found nothing of note. It moved onto the next step. **"Class S battle, the Blitz Team Vs the Raiders Team, Battle mode 0982. Ready…"** The judge held out its arms, and then snapped them back to its chest. **"…FIGHT!"**

X-X-X-X-X-X

On the Judges go, both teams leapt forward, or in the Gordos case lumbered. While the Blitz team simply went all out in a headlong charge with their Raynos rocketing into the air, the Raider's split up. Sitting in the rear seat of the Blade Liger, Derek was watching his displays. Narrowing his eyes, he started snapping out orders.

"Jane, take the left flank and see if you can flush out that Shadow Fox. Jacob, lay down a barrage of fire to keep them bottled up." The Zaber Fang leapt gracefully from dune to dune, veering away from its team-mates and heading for the Fox. Meanwhile the Dibison cut loose with its back mounted cannons, each one firing independently. The hail of explosives kicked up dust and sand, slowing the Blitz teams advance since they didn't want to be within that bombardment.

"Anna, keep an eye out for that Liger, that thing is powerful enough to take us all out by itself." This remark was addressed to the pilot of the Blade Liger sitting in front of Derek, though he could barely see her head behind her seat and the mass of holo-displays the team had installed in the back seat.

"Michael, you get a shot for that Gunsniper, take it. Everyone watch your missile lock indicators."

Derek watched his displays as the Blitz Team got over their initial shock and began to fight back. A hail of small calibre cannon shells came screaming out of the smoke, none of which were close enough to worry him. Of more concern was the Liger Zero, which had darted out of the smoke and was bearing down on his position. Confident that his pilot could handle herself for now, Derek watched the patterns being formed from the remaining two zoids movement.

"Michael, the Raynos is setting up for a strafing run from your six. Watch yourself."

"Got it boss, he won't know what hit him."

Jamie finished setting up his attack run, the Gordos lining up perfectly for his sights. Gordos were slow and cumbersome, but they were tough. With the exception of the spindly upper leg sections, they carried heavy armour, and as such made good mobile firing platforms. Jamie knew that with the exception of the Liger, the rest of the team would struggle to bring such a zoid down. As such, he slowed down to provide more time over his target. He doubted that he could knock the zoid out, but maybe he could hit those upper leg sections and cripple it, or possibly knock out a few weapons. As the Gordos slipped into his sights, something in the back of his mind was telling him he was missing something vitally important…

Down in the Gordos, the pilot smiled as the Raynos slowed. "Gotcha…" he whispered before pressing the firing stud.

Jamie was just about to fire when a hail of fire lanced up from the Gordos, raking the skies just ahead of him with tracer. There was no time to react, the Raynos just had to plough though and hope that it didn't take to much damage.

Jamie had forgotten that the Gordos carried rear weaponry that could be pivoted up for anti-air duty. Kicking in the boosters, the Raynos shot out of the cross fire. But before he could breathe easy, explosions outside rattled Jamie around in the cockpit. Dirty black clouds appeared before and around him and shrapnel resounded off the Raynos skin. _"Flak."_ He thought as he powered away, leaving a dirty trail of smoke behind.

"Good shooting." Derek commented as the Raynos pulled out of the Gordos line of fire. Although the aerial zoid was not yet out of the battle, the smoke and the sluggish way it had handled as it turned showed that it had been badly hurt by the barrage.

"Didn't get as much of him as I'd like though…" Michael begun.

"And you won't get another chance at him!" Interrupted Leena. "WEASEL UNIT TOTAL ASSAULT!"

Sure enough when Derek looked, the overloaded Gunsniper had opened up with its entire arsenal. A rain of bullets and missiles raced after the thin laser beams that lanced out at the Gordos. Multiple detonations clouded the heavy zoid from view.

Leena's laughter died as the smoke cleared though. The Gordos came on, without a scratch to its hide. The head swung round to look at her, and then the short-barrelled cannon just in front of the left flak gun did the same. A yellow-orange beam lanced out, only just missing Leena since she jinked left. She responded with the Vulcans again, but this time saw the glowing form of an energy shield flicker up just before impact. Once the barrage ended, the shield dropped and the zoid continued its implacable advance.

"Oh great…" She cried out as she dodged another energy blast.

Brad was having about as much luck with the Zaber Fang. Although smaller and lighter, The Shadow Fox was barely staying one step ahead of the other zoid. He had stopped using the smoke dischargers since every time he had the other pilot popped a mortar round into the cloud. Hiding behind a dune didn't help as again mortar shots came over. So far He had been too busy dodging the main pulse cannons, fortunately not in a pivoting mount, to get a good shot back.

Derek was brought back to his surroundings bay a powerful jolt. Looking outside, he could see the Liger Zero chasing his Liger around. Only the deployed side blades were keeping it at bay, but not for long. Already there were several cuts and slashes in the Blade Ligers armour, none deep enough to hit anything vital, but if Bit could keep cutting away like that, he'd soon hit something vital.

"Jacob, give us a hand will you?"

"Sure boss, Give me sec." The central monitor in both seats lit up with a small tactical map, with a set of waypoints highlighted one-by-one. "Follow this path." Anna didn't need to be told twice, even though the initial move put the Liger Zero behind them. Then shells rained down and blanketed the area. The Blade Liger followed the set course and came out unharmed. The Liger Zero staggered back up having taken a couple of hits, but it was still active. Anna tired to put it down with a volley from her blade laser guns, but the Zero leapt clear of the burst. "He's good…" She whispered as the Zero roared again as it charged.

Jacob, awaiting new orders, spied the returning Raynos. Quickly switching weapons, he swung the Dibison's head up and fired off a volley from the pulse lasers he carried instead of missiles. The Raynos managed to avoid most of the shots, but a few struck the right wing and tail. A second volley creased the main body, while the third shorted out the flyer and it dived for the sand below.

Meanwhile Leena was continuing to prance around the Gordos. Its shield raised every time she fired, then dropped. She tried firing two bursts in quick succession, but that didn't work. The shield flicker up and down so fast! And she was barely keeping ahead of the beams that lanced out in return. She was already down two lasers and a missile pod, plus quite an amount of charring on the armour.

"Somebody give me hand here!" She yelled into the radio. "Jamie, where are you?"

"Sorry, I'm down." Jamie's voice was almost a whimper.

"Hang on Leena, I'm coming…" Bit yelled, diving under the latest charge of the Blade Liger before sprinting for the Gordos.

"Let's rip that turkey open partner." The Liger Roared in agreement as the five blades on the head began to form the buster slash attack.

This did not go unnoticed by the Raiders. "Jacob, get ready hit the Zero with everything you've got!" Yelled Derek as Anna pulled the Blade Liger around. "We'll set him up, you knock him down."

"Roger that."

Bit was preparing for the final charge when a hail of laser blasts lit up the air in front of him. The Liger pulled up and for a few seconds sat still.

"NOW!"

Bit saw the muzzle flashes from the corner of his eye, and began to turn away, but the shells moved far too quickly. Explosions rocked the Liger as several hit the zoid, while dust rose from near misses. As the smoke cleared the Liger Zero could be seen lying on its side, twitching. Several chucks of the orange armour had been blasted off, and two of the laser blades lay a short distance away. Although the Liger was still mobile, the armour itself was a mess. Jacob was just congratulating himself, when his radio shrieked. "Jacob, your left!" Jane yelled.

Glancing left, Jacob swore before driving the Dibison forward. The Shadow Fox had managed to get the Zaber Fangs left fore leg wrapped in its electro-net, and had come after him. Despite his efforts, the Fox's strike laser claw torn across the zoids haunches. Both back legs started to trail as neither responded to commands.

Brad finished the Dibison off with a burst from his laser, but before he could help either Bit or Leena he had to dive away again as a pair of missiles from the Zaber Fang came screaming in.

Leena opened up again at the Gordos, but its shield again repelled her attacks. She continued to fire, and this time watched as the shield dimmed, then failed. By that point Leena had stopped firing as return fire grazed her zoids leg and took out another missile pod, but she now knew the shield was not impenetrable.

"Bit, we're going to need one heck of an attack to break though that shield."

"Right, but the Schneider's totalled. I'll need to change to Panzer."

"Do it, we'll cover you!" Leena punctuated this remark by sweeping fire over the Blade Liger. While its own shield deflected the fire, it did buy Bit time to get the Zero up and heading for the hover cargo.

Jane was back playing cat & mouse with the Shadow Fox. She had to admit it moved like a dream and was very graceful. Neither side had been able to land a solid blow yet, but she was grateful that her Zaber Fang had curved armour panels that deflected most of the energy of the laser shots that hit.

The Liger Zero leapt up into the Hover Cargo, and began the process of changing into the Panzer. Even before the process was complete, Bit could feel the heat beginning to build within the Ligers servos.

Derek had watched the Liger Zero disappear into the Blitz Teams transport, and was watching in interest for when it emerged. When he saw the side panel fold down he quickly flicked on his comm. "Head's up, they're deploying the Panzer armour. Jane, you know what do…"

As the Liger was lowered to the ground, Bit was already locking in all three Raider zoids into the missile targeting system. Bit watched as panels folded out to account for all the missiles that the Panzer carried.

"BURNING BIG BANG!" He cried as every missile fired, wreathing the Liger in exhaust smoke. The temperature in the cockpit rose rapidly.

"Incoming missiles," Michael called out, his eyes widening in shock. "A heck of a LOT of missiles! My shield can't withstand that!"

"It won't have to," Derek smiled thinly. "Jane, now."

In the Zaber Fang cockpit, Jane flipped a simple switch. Suddenly the airwaves in the local area were smothered in a blanket of static as the ECM unit mounted on the zoids tail kicked in and began its tantrum. Brad had to clasp his hands over his ears as the Shadow Foxes sensitive sensors were overloaded by the broadcast. Even the judge was affected slightly, having to switch to a narrow beam laser communication system to continue to broadcast the match to the super satellite high above.

The effect on the Liger Zeros missiles was all that could have been hoped for. Suddenly each one was rendered blind and deaf, their guidance systems completely fried. Some continued on their current, ballistic course, destined to crash somewhere on the fringes of the battlefield. Others suddenly went haywire and corkscrewed away, slamming into the ground or shooting off high into the sky. Others simply exploded.

Within seconds, the Liger Zeros most powerful attack was completely nullified, by a small box of electronic components.

After ten seconds the jamming shut off and normal comms channels were clear again. "What the HELL was THAT?" Leena screeched.

"They're using an ECM unit," bit out Brad, still wincing "Damn thing nearly seized up the Foxes sensors."

Bit was simply speechless, his jaw on the floor. The Ligers most powerful attack, stopped dead cold. A near miss from the Gordos's guns snapped him back to the here and now. A second blast struck the Liger, but the Panzer armour withstood the blast.

"Two can play that game." He muttered. Quickly bring up the gun sights he bracketed the Gordos. "HYBRID CANNON FIRE!"

Both the back mounted cannons unleashed a hi-energy particle/laser beam, the recoil generated by super-heated air pushing the Liger back a few feet despite the ultra heavy armour. One beam missed, burrowing though three sand dunes before striking a rock and taking out a nice chunk of the dune it was in. The other punched though the Gordos' shield like it wasn't there and ripped across its body just above the left legs. Although it didn't breach the thick armour both upper weapons went offline, as did the shield.

Wiping his brow, Bit called Leena. "He's wide open, finish him would you?"

"Gladly!" Leena cried, planting her zoids feet solidly. Bit grinned, and then hit the emergency armour jettison. Charges went off underneath the Panzer armour, releasing the Liger Zero from its great weight.

"Oh crap!" Michael cursed as he tried to bring another weapon to bear.

Leena wasn't having any of that. "WEASEL UNIT TOTAL ASSAULT!"

Although some of the weapons were damaged and didn't respond, the rest were enough. Targeting the left side, Leena rained fire on the Gordos. She held down the trigger, raking the Gordos with her cannons. Rocked by the missile barrage, it didn't seem that it would ever go down. Finally the armour gave way where Bit's hybrid cannon had weakened it, and explosions ripped apart the left hip joint. Already overbalanced by the missile attack, the Gordos slumped over onto its right side, out of the fight.

Back inside the Hover Cargo, Bit called up the standard Liger Zero armour. With the Schneider damaged, it was either that or the Jaeger, and Jaeger was simply too fast for this battle. "Liger Zero, CAS complete!" He called out as the Liger was rotated back up to the catapult. The Liger was quickly sent back out to fight.

But someone had been waiting for that. As the Liger Zero was landing on the ground, a hail of laser blasts cut across its path. Mid leap, the Liger had no chance to evade the fire and took several hits. While not enough normally to cripple the Liger, the hits were to the forelegs, which couldn't take the full weight of the Liger as it landed. It nosed dived into the sand hard enough to trigger a command system freeze.

"Good work!" Derek was impressed with Anna's timing. "Now we've only got the Fox and the Gunsniper left, and I doubt the latter has much ammo left."

"You wanna bet?" Leena challenged, before opening fire again on the Blade Liger. Bullets stitched the dirt around them, but the Liger was staying one step ahead of the fire.

Jane too was sweeping fire around, and having similar luck against Brad and the Shadow Fox. Though she had managed to get rid of the electro-net, the left foreleg was still dragging. Thus hindered, she couldn't more as fast as she liked, so had to resort to gunfire to catch the agile Fox. Also Brad was getting more accurate again her slower moving target.

Jane tried one last trick. She fired off the last of her mortar rounds in a pattern to box the Shadow Fox in, and then leapt after them. The Fox ground to a halt below, but as her Zaber Fang came down, the Fox jumped back. Jane landed heavily, shaking her up for a few vital seconds.

Brad didn't waste them. "Strike laser claw!" he yelled as the agile Fox leapt forward. Its glowing claws cut across just behind the neck, ripping off the shoulder cover. Skidding in the sand, Brad prepared for second attack, but the Zaber Fang thudded into the dirt, beaten.

"Oh man…" Brad sighed with relief. That had been one tough fight. Glancing at his displays, he swung round to assist Leena. He noticed that the Fox was pretty banged up. "That fight took a lot out of…"

He never finished that thought. "BRAD! A little help here!" Leena called out, as her main weapons ran dry. The Blade Liger seemed to hear the clicking of empty chambers, as it swung round and charged right for her. Both side blades deployed and begun to glow with laser energy.

"Get away!" Leena screeched as she threw her zoid out of the Ligers path. Her desperate manoeuvre was only part successful. The right laser blade slashed deep into the Gunsnipers thigh and side, shutting it down.

"Looks like it's just you and him now" Derek said, shutting down his tactical systems. With a one-on-one fight there was little point in strategic oversight.

Both active zoids raced at each other, scattering laser energy around each other but not quite hitting. A few glancing blows on each other's armour but that was about it. As the Liger's blades came down and it jumped, Brad did the only thing he could think of. He leapt closer to the Liger's body.

Both zoids can to a jarring, spinning halt. The Foxes jaws were clamped down on the arm that supported one of the blades, but the Liger was snapping at the Foxes side. Unable to release the blade since it would slice the Fox in two, both began a merry circular tug-of-war. The Fox was however at a significant disadvantage. The Liger was both bigger and heavier, and was also less damaged.

Brad struggled to hold back the Liger, but was being pushed back towards one of the many craters that now littered the landscape. If he fell in there the Shadow Fox would be over balanced and it would be all over. He quickly ran over his list of options. They were depressingly short.

'_If only I had caused more damage with the laser, then I could of…'_ He stopped that line of thought. The back mounted Vulcan laser was still working, after a fashion. A glancing hit by the Liger had damaged the training mechanism, but he thought that it could still pivot enough to hit it. The problem was that it had never been intended to be fired at this close range. But Brad was out of options. Quickly working the thumb pad, he began to swing the gun around.

Derek noticed the move and called out. "Anna! His laser!"

"Drat!" she cursed, but she knew she couldn't do anything to stop him. If she tried to back off he could escape and still shoot her, while none of the paws could reach. She had to trip him up now. She pushed the controls harder.

Brad felt the Foxes rear paws slipping in the edge of the crater when he got the shot lined up. With no time to waste, he hit the trigger.

The Laser Vulcan opened up, sending a hail of short laser pulses carving though the Ligers hips. All three pilots covered their eyes from the intense glare, and inside the Shadow Foxes cockpit alarms blared as the barrel tips of the laser overheated. The effect on the Liger was far worse though. Systems within the Liger shorted out, and then it slumped down, defeated. It nearly dragged the Shadow Fox down with it, but Brad released the blade arm in time.

"**The battle is over! The battle is over! The winner is… The Blitz Team!"** The judge called out, raising his blue hand as he did so.

Brad mopped his forehead as the Judge declared the winner. That had been too close.

X-X-X-X-X-X

"I've got to hand it to you, that was one tough match." Both teams were now sitting round a table within one of the restaurants in the local town. Part of a tradition going back to the earliest days of Class S, both teams would sit down and talk afterwards, and of particular interest to the Blitz, the losers would foot the bill for the meal. "We were a little nervous going in."

"To tell the truth, so were we." Jamie replied. "Not sure what to expect from a Class made up of previous Royal Cup winners."

"Mostly." Jane added as she returned with the drinks.

"Yea, a few got in by their battle record, or were recruited by winners from past rival teams, within limits." He glanced at Jane as she sat down. "But the core of all the teams are Champions."

"Looks like we'll be right at home then." Drawled Brad, lounging in his seat by the window.

"Oh, I wouldn't count on that for long." Derek replied.

"And why's that?" Leena challenged.

"Leena…" Doc Toros started to admonish his daughter.

"No, it's all right." Derek shifted in his seat so that Anna would be more comfortable under his arm before continuing. "It's simple really. During a teams first three matches in Class S, their opponents are given a few handicaps."

"Handicaps?" Bit questioned.

"Small things, like not using more zoids than the new team, stuff like that. Once those first three battles are over, the gloves come off."

"So Class S is very competitive, then?"

"Extremely." Derek nodded. "Each match is fought off the field almost as much as on it. Teams will constantly refine their zoids configurations, searching for that perfect counter to the other teams favoured set up…"

"You certainly countered the Panzer." Bit grumbled, but only half-heartedly. In truth he was still jazzed up by the battle. The others laughed in good humour.

"It was only a matter of time before some one did it. ECMs don't always work, and they do have a down side, but I…" Anna elbowed him gently. "…That is, _we_ thought it best to show you how your tactics could be countered, with the right configuration. Some of the other teams might have rubbed your nose in it, I'm afraid."

"You mention changing a zoids configuration. This happen often?" Brad asked.

Derek nodded. "While most warriors generally get one arrangement of weapons on their zoid and stick with regardless, in Class S the norm is to have enough parts for two-to-three different weapon configurations per zoid. Each team has a certain style, but they can, and will, change it depending on whom they're facing. Another common theme is that each team has 'extra' zoids, used as spares if one of their main zoids is too badly damaged to compete in the next battle, or to radically alter their teams' line up."

Jamie nodded slowly. "That must get expensive."

Derek nodded. "It can be, depending on what you choose. Course the prize money up for grabs in Class S generally covers most expenditure. You'll generally find laser and other energy weapons used far more often the Class S that any other Class. Our Gordos is a bit of an exception since it's difficult to get weapons that fit it."

"I can imagine. I don't think I've ever seen a Gordos in a zoid battle before." Bit commented.

"I have, twice before today." Brad said lazily. "Their slow speed makes them more useful as area denial weapons than actual assault units."

"Don't count them out for assault." Michael stated. "The Helic Republic uses Gordoses as assault units. They may be slow, but they are almost unstoppable. Besides, a base can't run away." The gathered warriors laughed again.

"Speaking of unstoppable, were did you get that shield from? It took nearly all my ammo to punch though." Leena asked rather plaintively. "Not to mention that it was annoying to see it snap up so quickly."

Derek grinned smugly. "That's part of the reason we're a competitive team, despite being undersized by Class S standards. We use tactical equipment and coordination to better work together. We decided to turn the Gordos into a mobile fortress..." Michael smirked "…and as you said Brad, use it to deny a swath of ground to the other team. Make them work around it. The plates along its back are the shield generators; that's why they're gold rather than the standard sliver. And that's not all the non-weapon related changes we made. The back seat of our Blade Liger has been turned into a miniature command centre, with everything accessible at the touch of a button."

"So that's how you knew I was coming in." Jamie stated flatly. "You watch the overall battlefield, while your pilots handle the immediate concern."

"Correct. Today since there were only four of us I could coordinate us more tightly than normal. On a regular Class S battle I'd be hard pushed to get that kind of overview. Too much happening at once."

"So how big can a Class S battle get?" Bit was almost drooling at the thought of being involved in larger battles.

Derek thought for a few moments. "The usual battle size is about seven-on-seven, with most zoids type four, with quite a few three's and the odd two or five. The record is, I think, fifteen Vs fourteen and the smaller team had both a Gordos and a Gojulas."

The Blitz's jaws dropped. Brad was the first to recover. "How can one team support so many members?"

"Mainly, the heightened prize money. But the largest teams do tend to be military units from either the Republic or the Empire. That particular battle was a Republic Vs Empire fight, as part of the memorial of the end of the last Helic-Guylos War. Both sides were military units."

"Well, sounds like we'll enjoy ourselves greatly! I can't wait!" Bit grinned with eagerness.

X-X-X-X-X-X

'_Boy was I wrong'_ Bit thought as he slumped down into the couch in the Blitz base. It had been almost a month since that first battle with Derek's Raider Team. He had warned them not to expect an easy time, and boy had he been right. Their second battle had been just as intense as their first, though this time the other team had luck on their side and had scraped a win. Their last 'novice' battle had been a blast, with both teams tearing into each other till only Liger Zero and the other teams Gojulas had been left standing. That time a seven-blade attack had been needed to fell the mighty saurian zoid and scrape a win. The next fight…

…The next fight they found themselves out numbered more than two-to-one. Jamie had been unable to fight as his Raynos was still undergoing repairs from the last fight, so it had been only Bit, Brad and Leena up against seven zoids. Although they put up a good fight, in the end the Liger was the only Blitz Team member still active. Surrounded by the last three zoids from the other team, Bit had no choice but to surrender.

After that it got worse. Derek had warned that some teams pushed the rules as far as they could, and the next fight had proved that. A trio of Hellcats with cloaks had forced the three Blitz team members to turn round in circles, while under constant artillery fire from three other zoids hiding behind a dune on the far side of the battlefield. Leena had managed to nail two of the Cats by simply saturating the landscape with explosions, but the third had taken her out afterwards. Brad had managed to spot it and knock out the cloak, but then they both got lead right into the gun sights of the rest of the other team. Bit managed to punch though, taking one of the artillery zoids down as he did, but the Fox was stopped dead. As Bit turned to reengage, that last Hellcat had snuck up and took him down.

The last battle had been against a mainly aerial force, six flyers with two Heldigunners providing backup. Bit had tried to use the Panzer to bring the flyers down all at once, but again an ECM shorted the missiles. Even worse some missiles that Leena had fired detonated just after leaving the missile pods. The Gunsniper was taken out by the concussion. Brad covered for Bit while he changed to Jaeger, but even the high-speed armour wasn't able to keep up with the two Storm Sworders on the Sun Ray Team. Jamie, returned now his Raynos was fully repaired, had slipped fully into the Wild Eagle, and to be fair had accounted for four of the other aerial zoids, but was caught in a cross fire by the last two and one of the Heldigunners. Brad was taken by surprise from below as the second Heldigunner came up underneath him. Its tail blades had flicked across the Foxes throat, bringing him down. Bit, now all alone, had been able to take down one of the Heldigunners when it tried the same trick, but the last Storm Sworder has used a sonic boom to pick the Liger up and hurl it into a dune. As the Liger had righted it self, a set of cluster bombs had dropped and the Liger was knocked out.

Now back from that battle – and the traditional after battle meal, paid for by the losers – the Blitz team had little enthusiasm left. Even Doc had been affected; he wasn't playing with his models so much.

"Guess we had this coming." Bit looked up at Leena, where she sat across from him. That wasn't a typical Leena comment. Hell, the expression on her face wasn't typical Leena.

"How so?"

She looked at him with tired eyes. "When was the last time we lost? When we first encountered Vega and the Fury. Ever since then, we've won every time."

Jamie laid a tray on the central table, before slumping down next to Bit. "Derek was right. The other teams have devised set ups and tactics to counter our every move, despite our teams chaotic nature."

Doc Toros, looking serious for once, sat between Leena and Jamie. "I think team," he started. "That we have face the fact that we are no longer the best around."

The whole team felt down. The string of loses hurt not only their pride. The Blitz Team was still badly in debt, despite all the prize money from the Royal Cup and their two wins in Class S.

Bit slouched in his seat, thinking back over the last few weeks. Suddenly a phrase leapt up from the depths of his memory and demanded attention.

'…_a few got in by their battle record, or were recruited by winners from past rival teams, within limits...' _Derek had said that, after their battle. The others were surprised when Bit suddenly shot up and raced to the central computer. He quickly began to punch in commands, looking for a certain section of rules.

"Bit, what you doing?" Leena asked.

"Remember what Derek said, about not all the members of a Class S team were in fact Royal Cup champions?" The others nodded, not getting what Bit was driving at.

"Ah, here it is." Bit crowed triumphantly as his efforts paid off and the required data was streamed to his screen. Quickly he re-directed it to the main screen on the wall so the whole team could see it. He turned back to the others.

"Derek stated that quite a few Class S teams recruit additional pilots from their old rivals." Bit now pointed to the paragraph of the rules that covered new teammate acquisition.

"You said we're not the best team around any more Doc. I suggest an alternate version: We are _currently_ not the best anymore." While Leena's eyes boggled, Bit watched as realisation dawned on Jamie's face and Brad sat back, a slight smile crossing his face.

"I follow you Bit. You're saying that if we can get some extra team members, we will once again be the best."

"That's it!"

"Brilliant Bit!" Steve exclaimed, jumping up and down in excitement. His eyes were already dancing at the thought of having a larger team.

"But it would mean we wouldn't get as much money to ourselves…" Brad pointed out. Trust Brad to watch the money angle.

"Better a smaller bite of the cookie, than a bigger bite of nothing." Bit countered. Leena smirked at his turn of a well-known phrase. "Besides, we'll still be getting more than we did last year." Brad raised an eyebrow before nodding.

"Good point Bit."

"So…" Jamie put in. "…Who are we going to look for? Did you have anyone in mind?"

Bit grinned at Brad. "Oh, I can think of two right off the top of my head…"

**

* * *

DR:** Three guesses as to who those two pilots are (grins). 


	8. Concerns & Invitations

**DR**: Just to cover myself here, here's the ages of the central NC0 Characters I'm using.

Bit / Leena: 20-21 (did they ever say, on screen, how old they were?)

Brad / Naomi: 25 (ditto)

Leon Toros: 27 (not sure how much older than Leena he is...)

Jamie: 17

Steve aka Doc: 48-49 (has to be old enough to have fathered both his kids at a sensible age...)

Vega: 15

Sarah: 30

Pierce: 22-23

Stroller: 36-37

And the couples... Bit + Leena, Brad + Naomi, Jamie + Pierce (this one is going to be a slow burn), Leon + Sarah (poor girl is badly underused here, it seems...)

* * *

Chapter 8: Concerns & Invitations

Leon was worried about Naomi, truly worried. Ever since that night with the Blitz Team she hadn't been herself. For the next couple of days afterwards she had often slipped into daydreaming. After the Blitz first battle she had been ecstatic that Brad had been the only one left standing. During the next few she was constantly worried for him. When he ended up running right into the barrels of that one team she had almost needed to be restrained from running out, taking her zoid and going out to the battlefield herself. The mercenary occupied her thoughts far more than they should. Leon had lost count of the number of times he'd found her, sitting at her desk, the forms needed for entry before her. But though she had the pen in her hands, she had been staring into space, clearly not aware of what was going on around her.

In fact she had gotten so bad the season had started without them. Now they had to decide if they should even bother with this season. Late entry not only lost a team the potential points from the battles they missed, but also a hefty fine; the ZBC was not keen on late paperwork.

Of course, they could just not enter this season, but that carried with it the chance of dropping a class or two. Once a team had pulled out for a year, and had dropped almost four classes as a result.

But recently, she had gotten worse. Over the last couple of weeks, she had been rushing to the bathroom in the morning with alarming regularity. She had gone off some of her favourite foods, and got nauseous easily. Strong smells seemed to be the worst in that regard.

Leon had the funny feeling that he had seen this pattern before, but for the life of him he could not pin it down…

Just over a month into the new season, and Leon was determined to at least get the forms filled in. But that proved to be a problem all by itself. Not only did Naomi have to sign each form, only she knew some of the required details about the team. And lately her concentration was shot to hell.

Still, some things Leon was able to fill in himself. So that morning he sat down to do so. As he did, he heard her get up, then rush to the bathroom like every morning lately. _'That's one funny disease she's got…'_

Suddenly the light on the call monitor began to blink, while the buzzer sounded to alert people that someone was calling. Sighing in frustration, Leon hit 'Receive' and prepared to take the call. _'Must be some ZBC official calling to complain why we haven't sent our forms in…'_

When the picture resolved, Leon was pleasantly surprised. Instead of an angry ZBC official, the face smiling out at him was his sister. "Leena? This is a surprise!"

"Hi Leon. How's things been?"

Leon's smile dropped. "Not so good I'm afraid. Naomi's been acting odd, so odd in fact we missed the deadline for registration for the season."

"What?" Leena was clearly shocked. "What's wrong with her?"

"That's just it, I don't know. I know I've seen it somewhere before, but I can't remember where… Ah well, it'll come to me. So I hear things haven't been so good at your end either."

It was Leena's faces turn to drop. "Yea, we've been getting our butts handed to us lately. The other Class S Teams have us figured out to a tee."

"So what are you going to do?" Naomi asked from the doorway. She had clearly finished her business and had heard the voices. As she stepped forward Leon couldn't help but notice how pale she looked.

"Naomi, god you look terrible!" Clearly her paleness was visible over the link too. "I hope what ever you've got passes soon."

"So do I." Naomi shrugged. "Look, I'm not feeling so good. Was there a reason you called?"

"Well…" Leena turned evasive. "…It may not be such a good idea anymore, since you're ill…"

"Trust me, it'll pass. Now what was this 'Idea'?"

Leena smiled. "Bit came up with this idea actually. He remembered something our first opponent told us after our battle." She leaned forward. "A tradition in Class S is that teams that make it in expand by incorporating old rivals from Class A. Bit suggested we do that now, to get our edge back. And guess who was at the top of the list…"

"Us." Leon stated flatly. Outside he showed no emotion, but inside his heart was racing at the idea of returning to the Blitz, in Class S no less!

"Oh yea. You and a couple of others made the short list. Believe me it is a short list." She sat back, clearly waiting for their response. "Well, how about it?" She demanded.

Leon turned to Naomi. "Well Naomi? You're the boss here."

Naomi hung her head. "Give me a little time to think about it."

"WHAT? Naomi, you are being offered a chance in a lifetime here! Free ticket to Class S! What more could you want…"

"I said give me some time to think about it!" Naomi shouted back, before she hit the 'Terminate' button. The screen went blank.

Leon watched in amazement as Naomi almost staggered over to the small sofa in the room.

"Na', what's got into you?"

Naomi slumped down, holding her head in her hands. "I wish I knew…"

"Look…" Leon quickly sat across from her. "…Leena was right. This is a chance in a lifetime. No need to win the challenging Royal Cup. We've already got the points to qualify, and there's no shame involved if this happens all the time…"

Naomi sighed. "I just wish we could get in on our own merits, you know?"

"I do know, and besides, we are. Didn't you hear her? 'The top of a very short list.' When people hear that we were the first people the Blitz Team invited, then they will know that we are top of our class." She didn't respond. Leon tried another tack.

"Think about how it would look if you decline. People will talk, and they're going to say that you let your pride control your actions." Leon shrugged. "Since we missed the deadline for registration for this season, we'll have to fight twice as hard to make up the points we've missed if we're going to make it into the next Royal Cup. I doubt we could do it." Naomi remained unresponsive. Leon sighed. He had one last weapon to use, one he didn't want to use. But Naomi was forcing his hand.

"There is one other thing…"

"What?" she murmured.

Leon braced himself. "You'll be able to see Brad every day."

Naomi looked up at that, murder in her eyes. "That's low."

Leon winced. "I know."

She continued to stare daggers at him. Finally she relented and leaned back. "All right, since you're so up for it. We'll accept."

"Thank you." Leon sighed with relief.

"I'm still going to get you for that last comment though. You've earned yourself a good pounding."

"Fine. Once we've done the paperwork and we're settling in at the Blitz base, beat away." Inside Leon was jumping for joy. He may have to endure a pounding, but he was finally going home to stay. And he was going to be a Class S warrior!

As he watched Naomi step to the computer and start punching commands, he thought back over her condition. As he told Leena, he knew he'd seen her condition somewhere before, but he couldn't put his finger on…

Leena. Suddenly he realised that Naomi's condition was somehow related to Leena. How, he couldn't work out, but somehow…

X-X-X-X-X-X

The waitress placed her drink on the table, standing as far away as she could. Sarah sighed as she tossed her money onto the table. The waitress reached a tentative hand out for the coins before making a sharp exit.

Sarah sighed again as she pulled the glass to her and took a drink. Everywhere she went people stared in distaste, backing away if she came near. The shopkeepers were reluctant to serve her, while in bars like this she barely got any service.

And all because she was the mother of, possibly, the greatest zoid warrior living today. That and that she had been part of the Backdraft group, and had used her son to gain more power. Vega hadn't minded at all; he wanted to be a zoid pilot, and he was talented, no one denied that. Wasn't it natural that she had hung her success on her son's skills?

Sarah Obscura stared into the bottom of her glass. The problem was with that was it made her out as a monster, a mother using her son for political purposes. It had made her almost untouchable, but her one weak spot was the one thing she cherished the most. As long as Vega never lost, she would have continued to rise to glory.

It had been a good plan, but she – renowned for always seeing the long view - had not foreseen two things. One was just how powerful the ZBC's super satellite was. Almost a hundred times more massive than the individual satellites that had formed their judge network before the Royal Cup, it had destroyed the Backdrafts dark satellites in one broadside. While that loss was a hindrance, it was not irredeemable.

But the second had been. Vega had trashed the opposition all the way to the end, but then he met the Backdrafts biggest headache, the Blitz Team. Altiel had been obsessed about their Liger Zero, and it had cost them dear. True it had led to the discovery of the Berserker Fury, the core of Vega's power, but he had been unstable from his losses.

And then he had tried to kill her son! When those three Genosaurers had fired their Charged Particle Cannons at the Fury at once, Sarah's heart had stopped. She knew what those weapons could do: the Fury had carried one itself. The combined particle beams had caused a sphere of pure destructive energy to form, vaporising anything within. Dr Layons Whale King had lost almost seventy percent of its mass in that attack. Just the end of the tail and the bows remained.

Sarah had been on the verge of tears, ready to break down and cry, when the view had cleared to reveal the base of the crater. The Fury had stood there, unharmed, the glowing shell of an energy shield surrounding it. She had felt her heart beat again before shooting over the moon. Her son was alive! After that nothing could stop him!

But he had been stopped. It had come down to just Vega and Bit Cloud, the Fury and the basic Liger Zero. Both were great pilots, both zoids were Ultimate X's, zoids that learned from battles. She had seen shops sold out of recordings of that final, titanic fight on top of the remains of that old Ultrasaurus, it was so popular. It was then that Sarah had seen the reason that her son's zoid was known as the Berserker Fury. Vega had fallen unconscious: the strain of all the battles had finally got to him. Without guidance or control, the Fury had become a rampaging monster, not caring what it was destroying. She had realised that if it weren't stopped then, it would never be stopped. It would have rampaged around until enough firepower was brought to bear to destroy it. But it would have taken a lot of people with it.

While Sarah had worked for the Backdraft, she had never fully believed in their ideas and goals. It had been a case of the only people to help her in her time of need had been Backdraft members, and now she was repaying that debt. She had no desire to see innocent people killed, so she had secretly cheering Bit and the Liger on. If anything could stop the Fury without destroying it or killing her son, it was those two working together.

They had succeeded, Vega had been saved, but Sarah had no time to rejoice. The ZBC had tracked the source of the charged particle blasts that had destroyed their satellites, and they arrived in force. While others ran and fought to escape, she had remained at a console, watching Bit and Vega talk after the battle. The troops had found her there, tears running from her eyes.

At her trial, she had faced multiple charges. She had unleashed the Fury and Vega, she was high ranked member of a outlawed movement, had helped fund and support illegal matches, and she had ordered the destruction of the Judge satellites, actions that could have caused the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands, of people, had debris from the satellites fallen on cities. Sarah had pleaded guilty to all the charges, knowing she couldn't shift the blame, and not wanting too either. This had surprised the judges and public, but not as much as Bit Cloud asking the Court for leniency. His reason; "I've lived without a mother around, and I've seen the effects on others. Don't separate a mother from her son."

After the pilots of the Genosaurers had been brought out, Sarah had been astonished to recognise the Fuma Team, and revealed who had ordered them to attack the Fury in return for leniency, Sarah had push for, and received, a deal: She told the ZBC officials all the little secrets of the Backdraft she knew, and in return she would go free. Sarah did this with no regret. _'They tried to take my son…'_

Now, three months later, she still had no regrets. But she did wonder if she made the right choice after all. Although she had been released under bail, she didn't have complete freedom. She had to stay in touch with the law, reporting in every twenty-four hours. She had to wear an ankle bracelet that was also a tracker, and in each report she had to state what she had been doing that day, plus any major intentions for the next day. Worst of all no one was willing to hire her for any type of job. She had tried but she was just not trusted.

Now she was running low on money and the job options were drying up. With the new zoid season underway no one was looking to hire anybody. Within a month, Sarah Obscura would be penniless, and her son would never have a chance at a normal life.

There was one job she could do, one where she would be her own boss. She had the looks, despite having a child so young. And her rich, dark blue hair gave her an exotic aura. Even her past could be used to bolster her image…

'_NO!'_ She thought emphatically. _'I will not lower myself to that level, selling myself on the streets…'_

"You know, I'd have thought you would have been more careful in a place like this, considering what happened the last time you were in a bar alone…"

Sarah spun around in her seat, to stare at the man standing a couple of feet away. He still stood tall, his hair as steely grey as ever. While he had lost the expensive clothes that he had worn when she had last seen him, there was no mistaking that pose.

"Stoller!" She cried, happy to see a friendly face once more. Quickly getting up, she gave him a friendly hug. Stroller was one of only three people, including Sarah, which knew the truth about Vega. He had been the one to help her out, as they had been friends since childhood. Looking over his shoulder, Sarah spotted another familiar face walking over from the bar.

"Pierce!" The female aerial pilot had once been part of the Backdraft like Sarah and Stroller, but had left for personal reasons, rather like Stoller. She had dropped out of sight for some time, quite an achievement when you're considered one of the best flyers around and you've got long teal coloured hair. Pierce was carrying a couple of glasses in her hands, but her face creased into a smile at the sight of Sarah. They had both got on well during their time at the Backdraft, in fact the flyer had helped out with Vega a couple of times.

"Hey, mind if we join you?"

"Well, the other patrons might think we're plotting something, but right now I don't care."

Sarah waited while Stoller sat down and Pierce placed the glasses down, before hugging Pierce in the same way as she had hugged Stoller. Both women sat down facing each other.

"So where have you been Pierce? You seemed to drop off the face of the planet."

"Oh you know, around." The younger woman waved her hand around. "I had quite a bit to think about, and I needed some time to work it all out."

"I can understand that." Stoller nodded gravely. "After my fight with Cloud, which was so rudely interrupted..." Sarah and Pierce laughed at that. All three knew that Altiel had been behind that. "…I needed some time to think myself. So, how have you been Sarah?"

Sarah sighed in resignation. "Not so good. People are afraid to get within a few feet of me. I've tired to get a job, to help pay for Vegas education and entry into zoid competition, but no one is even willing to consider me. I'll soon be out of money."

"You could always…"

"No Stoller, I won't be a drain on you again." Sarah smiled at the older man in remembrance of his kindness, before turning to the young woman across from her. "How about you Pierce? Any plans for the future?"

Pierce shrugged, her shoulders slumped. "Not really sure. I had thought about entering as a Mercenary pilot, but I'd doubt anyone would hire me. Besides, not many teams could afford to support a Storm Sworder. Those things are hard to find, and harder to keep in top from. Course..." her face brightened. "…I could try starting a team…" she trailed off as Stoller shook his head.

"Don't bother. A lone aerial zoid wouldn't stand much chance in a regular battle. Any team consisting of only one zoid will always struggle."

"What about yourself? Surely you're ranked pretty high. You were one of our best ground pounders." Pierce, like all aerial zoid warriors, had a disdain for ground based zoids. It wasn't malicious; it was a result of the freedom the air gave.

"The Elephander may be a tough zoid, but it's slow. Nearly everything else on the battlefield is faster. Good piloting skills can narrow the gap and cover weaknesses, but I'm quite often outmanoeuvred. I'm only just hanging on to my rank as a Class A pilot by the skin of my teeth."

"And a good thing too." The youthful voice took them all off guard. Standing off to one side behind Pierce was the other contender for the greatest living zoid pilot, Bit Cloud.

Stoller's eye's narrowed. "Was that an insult, Cloud?"

Bits grin lost none of its cockiness. "Not at all." He said as he sat down in the last free seat across from Stoller.

"I don't remember any one inviting you to join us…" Pierce stated.

"Better to ask forgiveness than permission, that's what I always say. Besides, I think I might have an offer for you that you'll like…"

"Oh really? In that case I'll take my leave…" Sarah started to get up but Bit put a hand on her arm.

"No, this concerns Vega too." He said, his grin slipping away. Sarah raised an eyebrow, before she sat back down again.

Stoller sat back, arms folded across his chest. "All right Cloud, what have you got for us?" His tone clearly showed that he doubted that Bit had anything worth his time.

Bit's grin returned, as cocky as ever. "Oh it's quite simple…" He leaned forward. "…How would you two, and Vega…" He glanced at Sarah. "…Like to move up to Class S as part of the Blitz Team?"

Bit tried to contain his laughter, but couldn't. The expressions of the other three were just too funny. Pierce had been in the middle of taking a drink, and her glass had stopped just before her lips. Her jaw was hanging loose and her eyes wide. Sarah looked at him as if he'd grown two extra heads, while Stoller's eyes had snapped open like they had been spring-loaded.

"God, I wish I had a camera! The looks on your faces! Priceless!"

"You're…you're serious?" Pierce stammered, remembering to lower the glass back to the table before she dropped it in her lap.

"Completely." Bit's grin had vanished again, this time replaced by a grim expression. "We've haven't been doing so well lately. We're outnumbered two-to-one at least, and these other pilots are great. We need fresh blood in the Blitz."

"But why us?" Stoller asked his voice deceptively calm. "No offence, but we're not exactly welcome… anywhere really, being Backdraft pilots and all."

"Well, one, your not Backdraft anymore. And two, both of you were very good and Vega…" Bit paused, before pressing on. "It's a tradition in Class S to expand the team that won the Royal Cup with member from their greatest rivals before Class S. I can't think of anyone else that we could ask." Bit thought for a second. "Well, there was the Lightning team, but I'd expect we'd have to take them all on at once. And there was the Champ team…"

"They are not Class A."

"No, besides Leena would never allow it." Bit's grin eased the tension around the table, and the others laughed. Except for Sarah. She was staring at Bit closely.

"Have you asked your team mates about asking us?" Bit suddenly looked evasive.

"Ahh, sort of. I mean, your names were on our short list of pilots we thought were worth asking, but we didn't know where you were, and…"

"This another one of your 'spur of the moment ideas', huh?" Stoller commented, amused at Bit's squirming.

"Okay, I'll admit it! I came in here to post some flyers, saw you guys and thought I see what you thought about the offer. You were on our initial list though. I wasn't lying about that."

Stoller leaned back. "Anyone else on that list of yours?"

"The Fluegel Team and the Lightning Team. That's it. Naomi and Leon have accepted already. We haven't tried the Lightning's yet."

Pierce leaned forward on her elbows. "Even if we want to accept, and the rest of your team would accept us…" Bit blushed. "…The ZBC would still have to approve the transfer."

"I think that won't be a problem." Sarah put in, much to the others surprise. "Who better to keep us in line than those who took us down, the only ones who could take us down?"

"You have a point there, Sarah." Stoller commented. He sat in thought for a few seconds, before slowly nodding. "All right, here's want we'll do. Bit, you head back to your team and tell them about this discussion." Bit nodded, the look on his face clearly showing that he was not looking forward to that.

"Pierce, you'll need to find out where the ZBC would rank you, since I'm guessing that the Blitz can only recruit Class A warriors from your earlier comment Bit." Pierce nodded glumly.

"Don't sweat it, you'll smoke any challenge they'll set." Bit tried to encourage her.

"And Sarah, you'll need to talk to Vega and your minder. But if I know Vega, he'll be thrilled at the chance." Sarah nodded. She could just see her sons face when she told him about this.

"Let's meet up here again in say, three days time?" Everyone nodded. "Okay. Oh and Bit… bring the whole team next time."

**

* * *

DR:** I expect most of you can guess Naomi's 'disease'... (insert another evil grin) Trust me, I know what I'm doing... 

**Harry**: I can't. What has she got?

**DR**: I wasn't talking to you! Besides, I doubt you've the brains to work it out...

**Harry**: You calling me stupid?

**DR**: ... yea, actually.

**Harry**: I CHALLENGE YOU TO A ZOID BATTLE!

**DR**: Without your zoid?

**Harry**: Ummm...


	9. Arguments & Threats

**DR**: Well, here is chapter 9. I don't own zoids. WARNING: If you like Harry, you're not going to like this one! (Harry arrives in his Iron Kong) Speak of the devil...

**Harry:** I CHALLENGE YOU TO A ZOID BATTLE!

**DR:** Are you sure...? (DR starts glowing blue as he looks up at the Iron Kong's face)

**Harry:** yes... (DR morphs into his zoid form. Looks down at the Kong)

**DR: _100 percent sure?_**

**Harry**: ( 8 () ) Er, well, umm...

**DR**: **_Perhaps you should leave... _**(Harry runs off like a bat out of hell, screaming 'Mommy!'. DR morphs back to human form)

**DR:** (chuckles) works every time...

* * *

Chapter 9: Arguments & Threats

Before he had even left the bar, Bit had known precisely what the rest of the Blitz teams' reactions would be.

"You did WHAT?"

"She's not even registered, as for Vega…"

"Nice move Bit, not."

"Always figured 'Bit' was short for 'Bit-brained'."

"You could have talked to us first…"

"Just think! We'd have the Fury, the Elephander and a Storm Sworder in our team! What a collection!"

Everyone looked funny at the Doc, who was staring into space dreaming about having such zoids in his hanger. Leena shook her head then turned back to Bit.

"Were you out of you're mind? They're EX-BACKDRAFT! Sarah Obscura was one of the key people!"

Bit was struggling to get his side across. "I overheard much of their conversation…"

"Oh, so now you eavesdrop too?"

"…And it turns out their all in similar straits to us. Pierce will find it hard to get into competition, Stoller's struggling, and Vega and Sarah are in serious trouble. No one is willing to help them."

"Right, you know why? Because they'd screw them over big time!"

"Leena, none of them has done that to us before…"

Leena looked blank for a second, and then shrugged. "Okay, they haven't. But what about Sarah, what will she do?"

Bit grinned. "I actually thought about that. She could take over from, or at least help, Jamie. As in dealing with the finances, ordering parts, running the Hover Cargo, plus all the other chores he does…"

While Jamie and Leon thought about that, Leena was not so willing to consider it.

"WHAT? You'd put her in charge of dealing with all our money? Before you know it, she could be running her own little Backdraft with OUR winnings!"

"You don't know that she would! Maybe she got trapped in the group, and only now managed to escape!" Bit countered with some heat "Besides, Jamie can always double check everything, to make sure."

Leena snorted. "You can't see can you? Pierce and Stoller have clouded your view of the Backdraft. They MAY have morals and standards, but the rest don't! For all you know…"

"She was with them! They wouldn't associate with her if she didn't have morals!" Bit was now on his feet yelling too. Naomi winced and put her hands over her ears.

"All right, calm down, both of you!" Leon stepped in, putting a hand on Bit's and Leena shoulders before gently pushing them down. Bit allowed himself to be sat down, angry with himself for losing his temper. Leon had to put both his hands on Leena's shoulders before he could get her sat down.

"Now, let's think about this calmly, please?" Bit nodded. Leena didn't do anything, just glared at Bit. "You made a valid point there Bit. I may have only been here a day but I can already see that Jamie's overworked." Jamie seemed to sag in agreement. "And I have agreed with you, they're the best pilots out there, apart from the Lightning Team."

"And you'd have one hell of a fight getting Jake Cisco away from the Tasker sisters. We'd need to bring them all in." Brad commented. "And at their current rate of progress, I'd doubt they'd appreciate us giving them a leg up."

"Correct. Besides, we really need another aerial zoid. And both the Elephander and Fury are powerful zoids in their own right. But what about the ZBC?" Leon paused "Surely they wouldn't want three ex-Backdraft warriors and one key figure in one place together, with access to a Class S team and its funds?"

Bit smiled tightly. "Stoller raised that point himself. Sarah…"

"Again" Leena muttered.

Bit grimaced. "…She said that it wouldn't be a problem, since they'd be with us. If we beat them once before, we can beat them again if they ever got out of line." Everyone nodded, even Leena, whose face was losing some of its rage.

"I'd say it's worth a shot." Brad stated over his coffee. "We're unlikely to find anyone else out there who's even half as good as those three. And those who are as good are not likely to consider joining us, when they can get into Class S by themselves."

Leon nodded, before looking at Naomi. "How about you? What do you think?"

Naomi shrugged. "Might as well. I may not know them like you guys do, but from what I've heard their not bad people. They just got caught on the wrong side of the line."

Leon looked at his sister. "Leena?"

She shot up again "Fine!" She turned and stormed out the room into the sleeping corridor. Leon sighed.

"We can all guess Doc's answer." He gestured to Steve, whom was still day dreaming about the zoids. "Jamie?"

"What have we got to lose? We need more pilots and zoids, and they're the best around."

"Okay." Leon turned to face Bit. "We'll see what happens in three days."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Leena stormed to her room, furious at Bit. How dare he talk about their problems with members of the Backdraft so openly! Okay, ex-Backdraft. But still…

She flung open her door, then slammed it again as she stepped though. Throwing herself on to the small bed, she pummelled her pillow, imagining it was Bit. After almost ten minutes of such she sat up, finally calm enough to think properly.

Okay, now she thought things through, Bit did have valid points. She had caught Jamie's answer as she had left the room, and she did have to agree, all three pilots were the best around, nearly equalling the Blitz team in skill and daring. Vega even surpassed them in the Fury.

Fury. Now she thought about it, Leena had only really begun to lose it when Bit started going on about Sarah Obscura. But why did she care? What in the world would make her care if Bit started to fall for the mother of his greatest rival? Not that it was right in anyway, but…

Leena shook her head. It was crazy for her even to be thinking these thoughts, but for the life of her she couldn't get Bit out of her mind. When she thought of Bit and Sarah together…her blood boiled, and she felt ready to tear the hearts out of both of them. She gripped her sheets so tightly in her hands they started to tear, but she didn't hear.

Slowly, past the haze that formed whenever she got mad, Leena became aware of a second, darker emotion, beneath the anger. Driving it, feeding it, pushing it on. She tried to focus on it, but it was slippery, difficult to pin down. Finally she managed to do so...

Jealousy.

She felt jealous that Sarah had Bit, even in her head…

Stunned at this, Leena felt her anger dissipate. She couldn't believe it! There was nothing for her to be jealous of! She had no designs on Bit, no claims on him!

Or did she…

Leena shook her head. She needed to think about this. But not here, not around the others, who could burst in here at any moment and ruin what concentration she had left. Her room suddenly felt tiny and cramped. Acting on instinct, she quickly left and made her way to the hanger. She barely acknowledged Jamie as she past the kitchen. Reaching the hanger, she nearly went for her Gunsniper, but the cockpit was even smaller than her room, and with all those weapons… it would be too tempting to let off a few rounds to state her anger. No, she needed something else.

Quickly jumping into the jeep parked by the door, she started out. She didn't notice that both the engine and seat were still warm from Bits return, only that she had to leave…

Just as she pulled out of the hanger, a massive red form landed in front of her with a resounding crash. Cursing aloud, she was forced to make a tight swerve to evade it.

"Ah, my sweet Leena, fate is indeed kind! Here I am to rescue you, and you're already free! Come, we must leave now before your captors realise your out of their grasp!"

"HARRY?" now that she was stationary, Leena realised that the red shape was in fact Harry Champs Iron Kong. "What the HELL are you doing here?"

"Why Leena my dear…" Harry had crooned, but it came over the external speakers like a shout. "…I'm here to free you from this grotty little hole…"

"HEY! That's my home you're talking about!"

"…And take you away to be my queen!" Harry crowed. "Away from that money grubbing mercenary, away from that loony Doc, and especially far away from that no-good, cocky, arrogant punk of a pilot, Bit Cloud!"

Leena was startled, and more than a little alarmed. Harry had never spoken like that before.

"Harry, I don't need rescuing. And besides, they're my friends…"

"Leena, as my queen, you could have hundreds of friends!" Harry stated. "They'll all say how great you are, dote on you…"

"…If you're talking about robot servants, forget it!"

"Leena, Leena…" The Iron Kong actually shook its head. "You are clearly under some kind of spell, most likely one created by that snot nosed, pathetic spoiled brat of a pilot, Bit…"

"Funny Harry, I thought for a second that you were referring to yourself there."

Leena looked over her shoulder to see the Liger Zero stood in the hanger door, the rest of the Blitz Team clustered around its rear feet. Oddly, she felt much safer now that she had a friend in a zoid here too, particularly as it was Bit.

"BIT CLOUD!" Harry shrieked. Leena was forced to cover her ears. "Relinquish your hold on my Leena this instant!"

"MY hold?" Bit sounded astonished. "What gave you that crazy idea Harry?"

"Leena's been hanging up on me every time I call! She would never do that to me, her beloved man who will be king!"

The Liger growled. Although she never could understand it, Leena got the distant impression the Liger was laughing.

"You tell him partner." Bit sounded like he was restraining laughter too.

"BIT, is your over blown pansy of a zoid LAUGHING at ME?"

"Hey, don't insult Liger!" The Liger roared much more aggressively.

"Oh yea? Then how come you're 'great, all powerful partnership' is getting whipped? Why does the Liger never do anything by its self anymore? Every time it fights, it wears one of those silly armours with stupid names…" Harry taunted, apparently forgetting Leena for now. "…I know why: The vaulted Liger Zero is a coward! A pussy!"

The Liger was growling dangerously now. Leena could see it trembling; actually _see _it trembling with suppressed rage.

"Harry, I think you had better leave. Now."

"Fine, I will." The Iron Kong's head turned back to her. "Come my queen…"

"What…" Was all Leena could say before the Iron Kong's massive club like hand swept out and plucked her from the jeep like she would a sweet from a tin.

"HARRY! LET ME GO!" She raged, pounding on the metal fingers hold her. All that got her were bruised hands.

"Harry? What on Zi are you doing?"

"What does it look like Bit?" Harry answered smugly. "I'm taking my future bride with me. A couple of hours away from your 'clouding' interference…" Here he broke off to laugh at his own naff joke. "…And she will realise the truth I've known all along."

"And what kind of sick truth is that?" Leena thundered.

"Why, we're soul mates!" Harry sounded almost surprised that she had asked that question. "And that you are destined to be my queen and bear my heirs!" Leena went as white as a sheet.

"Harry! You can't kidnap someone and expect them to fall in love with you!" Bit yelled.

"She already loves me, she is just confused. You have some wicked spell on her! But I will free her from it!"

'_Good Lord he's completely lost it…' _Leena thought.

"Harry, let her go. Right now." She had never heard Bit so serious before.

"Never! I will never relinquish my rightful bride!"

The Liger growled again. It began to paw the ground. Leena could see the tension building in its legs. The Liger was clearly not going to wait much longer.

"Ahh, the little yellow bellied pussy cat is trying to scare me…" Harry laughed. "Give it up Bit! While I hold Leena in my zoids hand, you can't do any…"

He never finished his sentence as in a blur of motion the Liger lunged forward. Leena heard the sound of crunching metal, and looked over to see the Ligers jaw fastened around the Iron Kong's elbow. Harry was screeching as the Liger lifted its right front paw up. The claws glowed brightly, as did the spines on its cheeks, before the raised paw slashed downward. The laser claw torn right though the Kong's bicep, completely severing the arm. With a jolt the Liger dropped to all fours, before ducking and backing away to dodge Harry's return blow from the remaining arm. Harry used too much force, as the Iron Kong, already unbalanced from the loss of an arm, toppled over. While Harry righted his zoid, the Liger Zero lowered the severed arm to the ground, Leena still trapped in its grip. The Liger took up a stance between her and Harry.

"NO!" Harry screamed. "I will not leave without my Leena!"

"It's either that or you leave via a stretcher." Bit countered. From his tone Leena knew that Bit meant every word he said.

"All right Bit, we'll play it your way." Harry sniggered. "You want to keep your hold on my Leena, fine. Tomorrow, we fight a zoid battle." Leena started to worry again. From the expressions of the rest of the team, who had gathered round her to see if they could prise her out, they too were worried. "The prize money, paid by the loser; five hundred thousand credits." Leena heard gasps from the rest of the Blitz team, and felt her own intake of breath. _'That would be enough to clear all our debts, with a bit extra to do up the base…'_

"Harry, I don't have a half million to my name!"

"Well then," Harry countered smugly. "I guess your team will have to cover the bill then."

Jamie sighed. "We couldn't scrap together half that, even if we sold everything we own. Including the zoids, the Hover Cargo, the base…"

"Well, I guess I'll have to settle for something of equal value then…" the Kong's head looked straight at Leena.

"Forget it!"

"Course, you could give me the Liger Zero instead. It will have to use only the basic armour in the fight though, to keep things fair." The Liger roared in outrage. "My sister's birthday is coming up, and I know what she wants…" The Liger begun to tremble again, but its pose was different. Leena was shocked for the second time that day. _'It's scared!'_

"Harry, I won't accept your challenge. It is grossly unfair…"

"Well, then I guess I'll have to start calling the banks, to inform those who you own money to that you're wasting time and that you can easily pay off your debts now…or maybe that you have no intension of paying off your debts. I haven't decided which one to tell them yet…"

Leena went as white as a sheet, while her Fathers face went slack.

"You wouldn't." Bit gasped.

"Try me." Even though they couldn't see his face, Harry clearly had an evil grin on it.

'_He's got us in a corner, and he knows it. If Bit doesn't accept, the Blitz team is finished. If he does and loses, he'll have to either give up the Liger, in which case we're done for anyway, or I have to turn myself over to Harry…'_ Leena shuddered at the thought. But she couldn't decide which fate would be worse.

"Fine Harry, you win." Bit ground out. "Just tell me when and where. I'll be there."

"Excellent. I'll get the Commission to arrange something. Make sure you have Leena and the Ligers armours with you…"

"So I can use them then?"

"NO YOU CAN NOT! They'll be included with the Liger if you decide to hand it over. Mary would be trilled to bits when she unwraps the Liger to find its armours included."

Bit was silent for a time, before grimly replying. "All right, they'll all be there."

"Good." The Iron Kong turned to go, and then stopped. "Erm, could I have my zoids arm back please?"

* * *

**DR: **Some of you may be thinking Harry's acting a little OOC. Well, bear with me. There is a reason… 


	10. Upgrades & Surprises

**DR**: Now, the plot thickens... Zeke, hit the 'Disclaimer' button would you...?

**Zeke**: Dragon-Raptor does not own zoids or Earthseige 2. If he did, you'd be watching this on TV...

* * *

Chapter 10: Upgrades & Surprises

After Harry had left, the Blitz team had retired back inside. Jamie brewed an extra strong pot of coffee: it was going to be a long night.

"Half a million credits!" Doc crowed, his face like that of a kid in a candy store. "Think of all the great parts we could get…"

"Dad, Bit hasn't even won it yet!" Leena snapped. "Besides, it will go to clear our debts! We can't afford them anymore!"

"But, surely we could…" Steve was already flicking though a parts catalogue.

"Fine!" Leena spat. She quickly sat up and grabbed her father's shirt collar. She then proceeded to frog march him out of the room. The rest of the team heard the sound of a door being slammed after a minute, before she returned, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry about that. I think the idea of all that money has gone to his head."

"Its okay sis, he just needs a little time to calm down. Jamie, why don't you pull up data on the zoid Harry will be using?"

"Why, won't he use his Iron Kong?" Leena asked as Jamie began to punch commands into the system.

"Well, for one Liger Zero did just rip its arm off, and then demolished the hand rather well…" everyone chuckled. Bit and Liger had freed Leena by cutting the fingers away with the Laser Claws, using the same sort of precision that Bit had witnessed the first time he had met the Liger.

"Besides, I noticed that the Kong's rear armour and weapon mounts haven't been replaced yet after the Royal Cup." While Dr Layon's Whale King had taken the brunt of the charged particle explosion, enough had burned though to take a good chunk out of the back of Harry's zoid. It was the reason he had been in hospital so long, poisoned by the charged particles that had seeped through his zoids armour into the cockpit. Leon frowned, a half remembered fact about charged particles teasing his mind. Something about their effects on a persons brain...

"So I'm guessing he's using something else for his battles now." Leon looked over at Jamie. "Anything yet?"

Bit suddenly had a bad thought. "Say Leena, what about the terminal in Docs room? He could…"

Leena clearly got the same thought. She leapt up and dashed over to the wall near the central terminal. Tearing a cover plate off, she peered inside. "Jamie, which wire leads to Dads room?"

"The red one. I knew someday we might have too…" he was cut off by an electrical crackle as Leena ripped the wire from its connection. From down the hall, a cry of horror ran out.

"…Sever his personal connection." Jamie finished. He quickly minimised the search while he checked out another program. He breathed easily once the results came up.

"He had only just begun to surf. No visits to any online stores yet." The rest of the team heaved a sigh of relief.

"What if he tries one of the computers in another room?" Naomi asked.

"He can't." Leena smirked. "I took the chair out of his room when I threw him in, and stuck it under the handle on this side. Since his door opens outward, he's trapped."

The system bleeped, and Jamie brought up his search. "Harry's gone back to a Dark Horn."

"Show us, would you?"

Jamie quickly pressed a few keys. The small holo-projector in the corner lit up and displayed a miniature hologram of Harry's Dark Horn. The four-legged saurian zoid was just like Bit remembered it from the last battle Harry had used it. A Vulcan cannon similar to the ones Leena's Gunsniper carried was mounted on an arm projecting from the top of the zoids back to one side, while the other side had a pulse launcher. Slung under the body between the legs was a vector thrust pack.

"He hasn't changed the spec?" Bit asked incredulously.

"I doubt that." Leon said grimly. "Jamie, is the projector showing current data?"

Jamie typed in a few more commands. "No, that's the data from our last battle against it. God that was a long time ago… Harry submitted an update a couple of months ago."

"Must have had the work done will he was laid up…" Brad began, but he stopped when the Hologram wavered then resolved again.

The Dark Horn looked significantly different. While it retained the basic shape, a squat four-legged creature with a single nose horn and a frill of spines on the back of its triangular shaped head, the changes were obvious. Harry had added extra armour on the head, making it almost a solid block of metal. Only a charged particle gun could breach that amount of armour. The Ligers strike laser claws would only carve furrows in it.

The spines that projected from the head had been altered, while now the back carried two Vulcan cannons, one each side, and a centrally mounted dual pulse launcher. What was worse it appeared the mounting for the guns had been crafted to allow the whole arsenal to pivot round, giving the relatively sluggish zoid a much needed combat boost. The zoids front legs had been reinforced to handle the extra weight in the head.

Brad whistled. "No wonder he's working his way up Class B so quickly. Shows just what throwing a lot of money at a zoid can do to improve performance."

"What's with those spines? Any data on those?" Leon asked, slightly worried.

"According to records, they are the projectors for a type of energy shield. It's not a strong or as effective as the shield on a Shield Liger, and must be projected between the pylons, but it much easier to install. It appears Harry uses it to deflect incoming fire away from his zoids lesser armoured body." Jamie swung round to face the others. "The Ligers laser claws would just bounce off. Harry will lose some manoeuvrability with it up, but he can still fire through it."

The whole team turned to Bit. He had been silent ever since Harry's updated zoid had come up. A grim expression was on his face.

"Bit?" Leena asked, worried. She had rarely seen him this way before.

"Bit?"

Bit shook himself. "I'm going to work on the Liger." He stated as he turned towards the hanger. "If you want to help, feel free. But I'd suggest you wear old clothing." He stopped at the doorway. "Oh, Jamie? Could you bring down the portable terminal? I'm going to need to access the specs for the Ligers various armours." Then he disappeared though to the hanger.

The others looked at each other. "Is he going to do what I think he's going to do?" Leena asked.

"I'd guess we'd better go help him then." Leon answered, heading after the blond warrior. "If he is, he's going to need all the help he can get tonight."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Bit worked his way over to the Ligers bay. When Steve had added a zoid bay to his home, he had had a standard pre-done unit installed. It was the average unit, consisting of one single large building, made from steel frames covered with sheet steel. It had space within for six medium sized zoids in bays, with just enough room for two more in the central area. That region was really to allow the zoids in the bays to get out via the massive doors at one end. The Blitz team home was at the other end.

Up till recently only four of those bays had been filled. Jamie's Raynos, Brad's Shadow Fox and Leena's Gunsniper took up one whole row. The Liger Zero stood opposite the Gunsniper, at the far end of the hanger. Stubby walls that only projected from the sides a half dozen meters divided each bay from the next. The arrangement allowed particularly large zoids to use two bays at once, though it really only worked with zoids that were squat but long, like the Gordos. Currently Naomi and Leon had brought both their zoids into the spare bays, with Naomi's red Gunsniper across from the Fox.

Bit removed his jacket and hung it on a peg he had added to the short wall in the bay. While the solid wall only came up about a quarter of the Ligers length, a set of motorised gantries projected out further. These were folded up against the rear wall when not in use, but could unfold to provide the solid framework needed to do almost any kind of work a zoid needed.

As Bit watched the gantries unfold and encircle the Liger, he heard footsteps behind him. "You really are going to do what we thought." Leena said in awe.

He looked behind him. Leena had changed from her yellow tank top and sky blue short skirt she wore most of the time to a pair of faded jeans and a loose T-shirt, with several stains on both. She always wore those when working on her zoid. Leon had removed his jacket, while Jamie hadn't bothered to change at all. He carried the remote terminal for the central computer under his arm.

"And what am I doing?" Bit asked a smiling forming on his lips.

Leon smiled back. "Harry said you could only use the white armour. He never said anything about modifying the armour."

"But with what?" Jamie questioned. "I don't see any great store of spare parts around…"

"Listen, you have to promise not to tell Doc about what I'm going to show you…" Bit asked. All three nodded. Bit's grin returned.

"Okay." He set off for the rear of the bar. "By the way, where are Brad and Naomi?"

"Naomi's not feeling too good again..." Leon answered.

"…So Brad had to help her first…" Leena finished. Jamie placed the terminal on one of the work desks as they reached the rear wall. Like the whole base, the bay's wall was not in perfect condition. Many of the sheet panels were discoloured, and a few didn't fit their space properly. Bit approached one such panel at ground level.

"Ah, I think I know now…" Leon's face creased into a smile.

"Know what?" Leena asked.

Bit fiddled behind one edge, before he began to pull the panel back. To Leena's and Jamie's surprise one half of the panel came away from the underlying frame easily, while the other half remained. Once the panel was fully folded back, Bit gestured them inside. As they passed though, they noticed the crudely added hinges on the inside of the panel. Leena noticed also that the way the hinges were attached that when closed one wouldn't be able to see the break in the metal unless you knew what you were looking for. _'Very clever…'_

"Stop there." Bit said as he stepped though the rough doorway.

"Where are we?" Leena asked, shivering slightly. Her voice echoed slightly.

"My secret store." Bit stated as he flipped a switch by the door. Slowly, flickering strip lights came on, revealing the contents.

"Oh my."

A well-known fact about those pre-fabricated zoid hangers was that the designer had had a thing for sloping sidewalls. Since the interior bays were square, a large strip of wasted space had been created between the two walls. It did help a bit with insulation, and cut out noise, but mostly the space behind the bays was unused. Many teams with these hangers had turned this wasted space into storage rooms for parts and ammo, and that was what Bit had basically done.

The single vast floor space was almost covered in zoid parts, ranging from cannons to actuators. With the exception of a small amount of parts directly behind the Ligers bay, all the junk was covered in dust and dirt. Many larger parts were damaged in some way. Leena stared about her, startled at the amount. She had known that Bit often went off in his truck for a salvage run, but she had never thought he could collect so much…stuff. She couldn't even recognise some bits.

"Okay, I am now impressed." Leon said. He sounded it too.

"I was hoping to at some point get all of this cleaned up and make some money for myself for a change." Bit sighed.

"But, where did it all come from?" Leena spluttered.

Bit grinned. "Around." He waved his hand in the air.

"So you think there is something in here the Liger could use?" Jamie asked.

"Sure, but I never really got round to doing an inventory. Even I'm not sure what's in here."

"Well, no time like the present, is there?" Leon stated excitedly. His eyes were already dancing. His tone infected Bit and even Leena, who grinned back.

This was going to be fun.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The four of them quickly set up a system: Jamie stood in the main hanger, using the terminal to make a list of each piece of equipment that Bit, Leena & Leon brought out. With each entry Jamie also added a short description of the items condition. At first they concentrated on the parts Bit had already cleaned, but they soon were bringing out part that hadn't. Many looked like they had been sitting in the desert for years.

Brad dropped by every now and again, bringing fresh coffee for the others. He didn't stay long each time: Naomi was feeling terrible and needed him beside her. But he was keeping her apprised of the work.

After two hours, the floor of the hanger around the Liger was covered in small piles of zoid parts and weapons. They had left most of the ammo in the chamber, bringing just enough to be sure they could match up ammo to weapons. And all sorts of interesting things were emerging from the dark corners of the dump.

"Hey Jamie, get a load of this!" Bit called out as he backed out the doorway. Jamie watched as Bit carried the end of a large blade like metal object, but he couldn't place it until he saw the end Leon was carrying.

"Bit, do you know what you've got there?" He asked goggle-eyed.

"Nope. What?"

"That's an accelerator blade for a plasma cannon! And can even be used with a charged particle cannon like the Fury's!"

Bit grinned wide. "Cool! Too bad we don't have a plasma cannon, but it should make quite a sum!"

Brad walked up at that point, bringing a fresh tray. "So how's it going?" he asked coolly, an eyebrow rising as he saw what Bit and Leon were holding.

"All right, I guess." Bit lowered the blade down before wiping his forehead. "I think we've nearly got everything out."

"Good. Cause Na's been doing something herself."

"Oh? I don't see her down here…" Leena muttered as she dragged a looped mass of zoid fluid tubes though.

"She's still not feeling too good, but she did get me to help her to the desk." Brad placed the tray besides the remote terminal, before leaning back and crossing his arms. "She's been looking at the Ligers specs, and watching that list of yours. She says she's thinking about what you could do with the parts you have."

"That's great!" Bit cried. "I haven't even begun to think about what me and Liger could use. She got any ideas yet?"

Brad shrugged. "I don't think she'll put anything definite down till you've cleared out that junk heap." He straightened. "I best go. She's been rather cranky when I'm not there to comfort her." He walked off, back into the base.

"Man, she must be riding him hard…" Leon muttered before pausing, listening hard. Bit looked up, was about to speak, but then heard it too. A vehicle was approaching the base.

"What is it?" Leena asked as she stepped though, seeing the men standing still. Then she heard the approaching vehicle. She shuddered. "That had better not be Harry again!"

"I'll go see who it is." Leon volunteered before making his way towards the hanger doors. Working the personnel door, he quickly stepped outside. Outside the sound damped hanger, the noise was much clearer in the early evening air. It took Leon only a second to recognise the sound as that of a Gustav. Sure enough, the humped and segmented back of the ubiquitous transport zoid crested a ridge. Leon noted with interest that it wasn't pulling a cargo trailer.

'_Who would be calling at a time like this?'_ He wondered as the Gustav rumbled closer. He watched as it approached the base and gently slowed to a stop a short distance away. He knew that he was clearly visible in front of the hanger. The external speaker crackled on.

"May we approach?" A soft female voice asked.

"You may." Leon called back. He was interested in that voice, wondering if the face matched the lovely sound that came from its mouth…

* * *

**DR**: Now who could that be... Find out next time! 


	11. Introductions & Shocks

**DR: **Now for more tiwsts and turns...

* * *

Chapter 11: Introductions & Shocks

As the Gustav approached the Blitz team base, the driver looked over at her young companion.

"You sure they won't mind?" She asked.

"Don't you mean, am I sure that I want to do this?" the raven-haired youth shot back. He smiled. "Mom, I know what I'm doing."

She sighed. "I know, but I can't help worrying about you… you're the best thing that ever happened to me."

He placed a hand on her arm. "I know mom. And I appreciate you're worried about me. My father never did…" He stopped. He knew that his father was a sore subject with his mother. On the one hand he had taken advantage of, used and discarded her, without any thought to her feelings or the aftermath of his actions.

But he had given her a son, a son any mother could be proud of. He was everything his father wasn't. Kind, compassionate, holding no grudges or having any hidden agendas. He wore his heart on his sleeve, as the old saying went. What you saw was the truth.

As she brought the Gustav to a halt just outside the massive hanger doors, she looked again at the young man standing outside. He was clearly not Bit or Brad, and was too young for the old Doc… wait. Bit had mentioned that a 'Leon' had joined the team. She searched her perfect memory for that name. Ah yes, Leena Toros had an older brother, Leon Toros. She looked again. Ruggedly handsome, he clearly had his father's hair, though it was swept into an odd style. It was brushed up to from a flat top, like a mushroom, that extended beyond his head.

Vega quickly unsnapped his restraints before vaulting out of the cockpit onto the ground. He could do that since the Gustav's head was so low to the ground. Sarah had heard that the Gustav looked like some small, pathetic creature back on Earth. A snail or something like that she thought.

Leon watched as a young boy, slightly younger than Jamie, hopped out. His hair was a dark smoky grey, like the feathers of a raven. _'So this is Vega Obscura_.' He thought. Despite his reputation, Vega did not appear to be a ruthless warrior feared by many. In fact he reminded Leon of Bit. His face was an open book, displaying everything about him. Leon had always been a good judge of character, and what he saw in Vega surprised him. He knew then that Bit had been right about him. This kid loved battling, but was not malicious or cruel. Had the ZBC rather than the Backdraft raised him, he would have been one of the most adored pilots around.

He shifted his attention to the tall women who was stepping out of the Gustav. The most defining feature about her was her hair, a rich, dark blue that shone a little in the lights of the hanger. It framed a thin but attractive face, and she walked with a grace that Leon had rarely seen. Her face was schooled to show little emotion, and appeared to be permanently set in a look of superiority. But Leon could see that this cool, confident exterior was a front, a cover for a vulnerable soul, one that had suffered and was desperate not to get hurt again.

"Sarah Obscura, Vega Obscura, this is a surprise. Welcome to the Blitz team base."

"Thank you." Sarah answered for both of them. Now they were face to face, Leon was amazed at her softly spoken voice. It was a gentle waft, and seemed to flow almost liquid like from her across the air. "We weren't sure what kind of reception to expect, what with our… past troubles."

Leon grinned. Sarah found herself struggling to maintain her cool expression. "Well, if Leena was out here, she might be a little less polite." He shook his head. "I do love my sister, but she's temperamental, quick to anger and tends to hold onto her opinions about people." He shrugged. "I'm afraid the she doesn't think very highly of the Backdraft."

"Understandable." Now that they were standing by the doors, Vega and Sarah both could hear the sound of clanging metal.

"What's happening? We come at bad time?" Vega asked, forthright as always.

"Vega…" Sarah started.

"No, it's all right." Leon stopped her before she could admonish her son. Surprisingly Sarah found herself not minding Leon interrupting her at all. "Why don't you come in, and I'll explain."

The Obscuras followed Leon though the door into the hanger itself. Sarah couldn't help but chuckle to herself. _'If only Altiel could see me now…'_

She looked round the hanger of the famous Blitz team. It was somehow disappointing. A standard six-zoid unit, sold throughout the world. And from the minor discolorations and other signs, not really cared for either. She'd almost expected the Blitz team to have some glorious structure that had each zoid on its own pedestal. After all, each one was famous in its own way.

The zoids gathered in here more than made up for the hanger's condition though. First of all was the Liger Zero. It stood, proud and defiant, the white armour gleaming in the overhead lights. It was currently surrounded on two sides by the fold out gantries, and a wide range of zoid parts and weapons were scattered around its feet. Clearly the Blitz team were doing some work to it.

On the other side of the bay stood Leena's Gunsniper. Sarah knew it was Leena's because there was only one Gunsniper on Zi that carried that amount of weaponry. She had read the stats and post battle transcripts, even watched a few battle recordings, but seeing it with her own eyes was much more powerful. Leena had added a wild weasel structure behind the high trajectory missile pods that all nearly all Gunsnipers had. Each side of the cross member carried a pair of lasers, two huge eight shot heavy missile packs, and a massive Vulcan cannon. The barrels of the last items were almost as large as the zoids hind legs. A triple fire long-range missile pack was added onto the outside of the Vulcans. Sarah shook her head. 'Walking Armoury' didn't cover that amount of weaponry.

In the next bay along from the Gunsniper stood the Shadow Fox, one of Dr Layon's greatest inventions. It was similar in size to the Command Wolf, but had a much sleeker appearance. The narrow nose swept back out over the cheeks, while the large ears gave it an alert look. It was had to tell exactly which part was which as the matt black colouring soaked in light. The gold edging and parts made a stark contrast to the black, while the Laser Vulcan gleamed with deadly intent.

Beyond the fox the teams Raynos could just be seen. Its green nose high in the air, both wings swept back to allow it to fit in the bay. Even here, standing on the ground, it screamed speed and agility. No wonder they were so expensive and difficult to get a hold of, even in the Helic Republic where they were most common.

Across from the Fox stood another Gunsniper, but painted a deep crimson rather that the standard two-tone blue. With her keen eyes Sarah could see subtle differences between this Gunsniper and a standard model. This one was clearly tweaked to improve its ability to get to a sniping position. Clearly Naomi Fluegels, the master sniper, zoid.

The last bay was filled with a usual Blade Liger. While the majority were blue or white, this one was dark crimson, and seemed to almost glow with inner heat. Sarah shuddered, a tingling sensation running down her snipe. It was similar to the tingle that had run though her when she had first set eyes on the Fury, but also different. The Fury had felt almost as if it was part of her family… the Liger sparked a sense of dread.

She shifted her focus to the area around the Liger Zeros feet. She noticed that many of the parts gathered around were caked in dirt and sand. She had heard Bit had been a junk dealer before joining the team. Clearly he had kept on scavenging as a sideline.

"Hey Leon!" A girlish voice called out from beyond the Liger. "Who was coming then?"

"The Obscuras." Leon called simply.

Sarah watched as all activity stopped, then three young people stepped around the Ligers paws. Bit Cloud was the first to hurdle the pile of scrap, before shaking her sons hand warmly.

"Vega! Great to see you!"

"Likewise." Vega smiled up at the blond-hair young man before him.

The other two people were standing a short distance away. The taller red-haired female must have been Leena: Sarah could see the similarity between her and Leon. Her face showed a mixture of apprehension and relief. Sarah wondered why the relief was there.

The much younger lad came over at Bits wave. "This is Jamie Hemeros. Our aerial pilot and tactician…" Bit began.

"Not that you guys ever listen to my tactics." Jamie cut in, addressing Bit. Vega laughed at the look on Bit's face.

"So Vega…" Jamie asked, turning back to him. "…Mind if I ask why you and Sarah are here?" The question was valid, but Jamie asked it pleasantly. Sarah hadn't heard that question asked that nicely for a long time.

"Well, Sa… Mom," Vega corrected himself, looking up at her. "…Said that I couldn't make an informed decision until I'm knew who I'd be working with. What your like off the battlefield that is." He shrugged. "I countered by saying 'Well, lets go round and talk to them now. A surprise visit would mean that I'd get a much clearer view of what happens round here.' Course…" His face dropped. "…If I'd known you would be working on your zoid…"

"Hey, don't sweat it." Bit stooped down to lift Vega's chin. "We weren't planning on doing anything to the Liger today either, but things kind of got complicated…"

"How so?" Sarah asked. This should be good.

Leena sighed. "Harry Champ called earlier…" she hesitated.

Sarah thought back. "Champ. That name rings a bell. Wait, he was the one you were fighting where those three Genosaurers attacked Vega. Son of Bernard Champ, chairman and owner of Champ industries?"

Leena nodded. "That's him."

"He's got a huge crush on Leena." Leon stated.

"And he's gone wacko." Bit added.

Sarah was confused. "So how does he mean you alter the Liger?" Vega asked in a puzzled voice.

"He tried to kidnap Leena… Thinks I've got some spell on her, and that once he gets her away from me, she'll fall in love with him." Bit shook his head sadly.

"So Bit does the heroic thing, stops him carrying her away…" Leena blushed. "…So Harry throws down his challenge. A one-on-one zoid battle tomorrow." Leon gestured to the Liger. "We've found out Harry's really tooled-up his zoid, and as part of the challenge was that Bit has to use the default armour." Now Leon grinned. "But he didn't say anything about altering the armour at all!"

Vega nodded, a grin creasing his face. "Cool!"

"Just one thing." Sarah asked, hating to spoil the mood. "But why did you accept the challenge? What's at stake?"

Leon's grin faded. "He threatened to turn the banks against us. They would have called in our debts, which we can't afford to pay off right now…"

"You're serious?" Sarah was astonished. "You still have steep debts?" Jamie could only nod.

"But when I win, we'll be able to pay nearly them all off. Harry's placed half a million on this fight!" Sarah gulped, while Leena rounded on Bit.

"You haven't won it yet! And you're not going to just standing there!" Bit could only cringe. "Besides, we don't have half a million credits, so remember what he said we'd have to give him instead?" Bit nodded, clearly terrified.

"She like this all the time?" Vega whispered to Jamie, the only he could.

"Mostly. But wait till you see her after Bits forgotten the bathroom schedule again and walked in on her, or nicked one of her sweet toothed treats. She's worse than the Fury at that point." Vega shuddered.

"What did she mean, about giving Harry Champ 'other things'?" Sarah asked Leon.

"Harry wants Leena so she's one thing. The other is the Liger Zero. So he can give it to his sister for her birthday." The Liger roared loudly at that.

Vega was startled. "Hey, I understood him!" The other pilots stared.

"What? I thought I was the only one who could understand the Liger!" Bit cried, his fright at Leena's hands forgotten.

"Yea! He said 'There's no way in hell I'm going to be a garden statue!' Is that what Harry's sister wants the Liger for?" Vega looked disgusted.

"Yea… strange girl that she is." Leena answered.

"But, why can you understand the Liger too?" Bit asked, smiling. "Not that I mind at all!"

Sarah thought hard. "Maybe it's because Vega also pilots an Ultimate X zoid. It'll be interesting to see if you could understand the Fury Bit." Bit's eyes lit up.

"Mom, did you understand the Liger?" Vega asked his eyes wide. Leon looked at her in astonishment.

"You... you can hear what the Liger said?"

Sarah sighed. "No. When Vega talked to the Fury, I got the gist of its replies. It didn't come across as words, but I got the general meaning and tone." She waved a hand at the Liger. "When the Liger roared, I didn't get that much, but I did get the core emotions: Fear and defiance."

At that point, Brad walked in. "Say have you finished your clear out, since that list hasn't been…" he trailed off as he saw Vega and Sarah standing amongst his teammates.

"Oh, sorry Brad." Bit called back. "Let me check." He dashed back into the store. After a minute, he came out, dragging another small cannon. "This is the last one."

"Fine, I'll go tell Na…" again Brad's voice trailed off, as he saw the short message that had come up on the remote terminal.

"What is it Brad…" Bit asked, before looked at the message himself. "It says 'Brad, help!'" Bit looked up, worried. Brad had already begun running. Sarah and Vega looked round at the suddenly anxious faces.

"What's the matter?" She asked, but already had a gut feeling.

"Naomi's been ill for the last couple of weeks." Leon answered his voice sad. "In fact, she's been acting odd for the last month, ever since that evening before the season started…"

"Maybe I can help." Sarah offered. "I took a course of medicine while Vega was little."

Leon looked at the others, and then nodded. "Go. I doubt it will be hard to find them..."

Sarah took off after Brad. Leon was too worried about Naomi to notice that he was sorry to see Sarah go…

X-X-X-X-X-X

As she ran though the short corridor between the hanger and the main base, Sarah dragged out of her memory everything she had ever learned about medicine and care. She knew the basics, but anything really bad, and from the sound of things this was, and she would out of her depth. All she could do in such cases would be to provide support until they could get Naomi to a hospital.

Sarah was surprised at her willingness to help, but maybe, just maybe, if the judges heard about how she was willing to help one who used to be a rival, they would lift the conditions on her. Even just removing that bloody ankle bracelet would be a god send…

She quickly made her way across the central lounge, barely noticing the scuffed seats; the rubbish gathered in the corners and the general air of neglect. Following her instincts, she found herself moving down a slightly curved corridor. She guessed she was near the back of the base, where the exterior walls curved round together. The Toros base had no rear wall, just a single curved end.

Stepping around a chair that had been jammed under a door handle, she was mildly surprised to hear a voice within.

"What's going on out there? Brad, are you chasing Naomi down the corridor?" The voice was older than any of the others. It had to be Steve 'Doc' Toros, the owner of both the base and the Blitz Team. And father to both Leena and Leon. But why was he trapped in his own room? Sarah was about answer him, when she heard a moan come from further down the corridor, along with what sounded like retching.

She soon reached an open doorway. Looking inside, it was clearly the bathroom. Brad was hunched over a figure knelling before the toilet, her dark red hair clumped with sweat and her body racked with spasms. Brad looked up with confusion and shock written all over his face. He clearly didn't know what to do at a time like this.

"Brad is it?" Sarah asked as she stepped though. "Why don't you go get some warm water and some towels? Maybe throw some coffee in too. Not too much, just a tiny bit…" She said as she stooped down by the clearly sick women. Brad nodded jerkily before exiting at a rapid pace.

"There now…" Sarah gentle reassured the sick women as she retched again. Sarah though back to when she had to do this with Vega, but she doubted that the same techniques that had worked on a five year old boy would work so well on a early-twenties women. "My names Sarah. Why don't you sit back a bit…?" She gently eased Naomi away from the bowl. Grabbing a handful of toilet paper, she gingerly cleaned her face. Throwing them into the bowl, she quickly flushed away the foul contents.

"Now just take it easy, that's it…" Sarah allowed Naomi to sit back, studying her as she did so. Naomi's face was pale, and she had a slightly elevated temperature. Her pulse was rapid and her breathing shallow, but there didn't seem to be anything seriously wrong.

Brad quickly returned with a steaming jug and several thick towels. Once he handed those to Sarah, he stood around, clearly wanting to be there, but not realising he was getting in the way. Sarah watched Naomi and quickly made a decision.

"Brad, why don't you check on the guy stuck in his room? Then could you keep an eye on Vega for me? I might be here for a while." Brad was about to protest, but one look at Naomi as she nodded silenced him. He walked out, shutting the door as he did so.

"Thank you." Naomi said weakly. Sarah gently held the steaming jug beneath her nose. Slowly Naomi's pulse slowed down and her breathing eased. "I didn't want to tell him, but him just standing around made me feel worse."

Sarah nodded. "Perfectly natural. People don't like to have their friends see them ill."

"Still, this was the worst spell yet." Naomi groaned. "This, whatever it is, must be getting worse…"

"Could you tell me the symptoms?" Sarah asked gently. At Naomi's raised eyebrow, she shrugged. "I do have some medical training. I might be able to tell you what it is, or at the least give you a rough idea."

Naomi eyed her for a second, before starting. "About two weeks ago I started feeling sick in the morning. At first I thought I'd just got a bug or something, but as the week progressed I had to run to the bathroom every morning." Sarah nodded, and gestured her to continue. "Apart from that, I've suddenly started getting nauseous easily, and I've gone off several of my favourite foods. Mood swings and general crankiness about covers it. Leon however says that started about a month ago." Naomi paused, scanning Sarah's face for any clue to what she was thinking. Finding none, she blurted out "What? No idea?"

'_How can I tell her?_' Sarah asked herself. She was not certain, but she had a strong gut feeling she knew exactly what Naomi's condition was.

"Leon said that the mood swings started about a month ago. Anything in particular happen back then?"

Naomi looked puzzled. "Not much. Oh, Leon and I were invited along by the Blitz team to the grand dinner hosted by the ZBC for all Class S teams. Each pilot could bring a guest, so we went along." Naomi smiled, remembering that night. "It was the best night of my life. A gathering of the best pilots around, a candlelit dinner fit for kings… We actually had the Guylos Emperor and his wife there, can you believe it?" Sarah nodded, amazed.

"After the meal, there was dancing and laughter, then…" Naomi paused, her face flushed red with embarrassment.

"What? What happened?" Sarah asked. When Naomi remained quiet, she tried to reassure her. "If it's something you wish kept private, I promise I won't tell the others in the Blitz…"

"Oh it's not that, we're pretty sure they know what happened." Naomi stated almost joyfully. "It's just… personal." Sarah nodded, a small smile forming on her lips.

"I can understand that, but if I'm to help you, then I need to know."

Naomi nodded. "Part way though the dancing, Brad and I slipped away. We found this really romantic balcony, and we stayed there for the rest of the evening. We kissed…" Naomi flushed again.

"There could have been an earthquake and we wouldn't have noticed…" Sarah smiled broadly now, envious of Naomi and wishing that something like that had happened to her.

"We had to leave all too soon, but… it was too late to return to our own place, and Leon had had too much to drink anyway… so we both came back here. Leon slept on the couch, while I…" Naomi swallowed, clearly embarrassed.

Sarah however had a good idea what happened next. "Brad's room?" was she asked.

Naomi nodded again, a blissful smile plastered on her face. "I still dream about that night, in there…" She flushed again.

Sarah sat back, her suspicions confirmed. While it was not one hundred percent, there was little margin for doubt. She looked at Naomi with a sad little smile.

"What? You know what I've got?"

"Oh Naomi, you have no idea do you…?"

"No! Now tell me, what's wrong with me?"

Sarah sat up. "Nothing."

Naomi was clearly confused. "What? This…" she waved a hand at the toilet. "…Is clearly not 'Nothing', is it?"

Sarah braced herself. "It's up to you how you take this…"

"Will you just tell me already?" Naomi was almost ready to straggle Sarah.

"You're pregnant."

* * *

**DR**: Like we didn't know that already! XD Next time, Na's reaction, and we learn more about Sarah's past... 


	12. Unexpected Revelations

**DR**: Now on with the Story, where we learn about Sarah's past, and a certain old CPU returns...!

**Shadow**: Good.

NOTE: I'm guessing in this chapter how the CAS works...

* * *

Chapter 12: Unexpected Revelations

Naomi just sat there, her jaw hanging open. Sarah's remark had completely stunned her.

'_Pregnant?'_ Naomi couldn't believe it. It just wasn't possible. She took precautions; they had never failed before on the few times she had needed them…

Wait. That week with the dinner, she had run out of her pills a couple of days before. She had meant to get some more, but the masses of paperwork had demanded attention, and besides she hadn't been planning on sleeping with anyone before a quick run down to the nearest pharmacy. The instructions said that the pills lasted a few days each, so there was room for a small gap before they needed replacing…

She folded both hands on her belly out of shear reflex. Although a small part of her had always wanted kids, she had always put her zoid piloting first. Besides, she had never really met the right man…

…Until Brad Hunter that is. They clicked, even though at first she hadn't believed it. He was cool, distant and concerned mainly with his money. He never showed extremes of emotion…

…Until that night, one month ago, when they had been alone together, both on that balcony or in his room here…

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up into the blue-green eyes of Sarah Obscura. "Did you feel like this too?" Naomi asked in a quiet voice.

"A mixture of dread, shock and joy?" Naomi nodded. "All of those, plus more. At least you know the father is still around…" Sarah's voice grew bitter. Naomi was startled at the insight she had glimpsed into her past.

"Sorry, I shouldn't be heaping my past on you." Sarah said quietly. "You've got enough on your plate right now."

Naomi sighed. "Could you go? I need to think about this…"

"I understand. Remember, I've been where you are now." Sarah stood up. "One thing: you're not staying in here." She held out her hand.

Naomi looked at the offered hand strangely, before pulling herself up. She nearly collapsed when she tried to take a step though. Only Sarah's arm had stopped her from falling back to the tiled floor.

"That spell took a lot out of you." Sarah muttered in surprise. "Is there anywhere you can lie down?"

Naomi had to think for a minute. "Brads room, really. We don't have a lot of space here at the moment."

As they moved down the hall, Sarah had to ask something. "By the way, what is Steve Toros doing trapped in a room down the hall?"

Naomi laughed. "He was dreaming about spending the prize money from the battle tomorrow – even though we don't have it yet and the debts need to be paid - and wouldn't listen to his daughter. So she dragged him off and trapped him in his own room." Both women chuckled. As they turned into Brad's room, Naomi suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, let me just send a file to the remote terminal…" They made their way over to the desk unit that all the rooms had. Once there, Naomi quickly punched in a few commands. "Okay, done." With Sarah's help she was soon stretched out on the bed. As Sarah turned to go, Naomi threw a hand out.

"Please, don't tell anyone, especially Brad. I want to do that, after I've had a chance to have your…verdict confirmed, and I've thought things though."

Sarah smiled as she patted Naomi's hand back onto the sheet. "Sure."

Naomi smiled in thanks as she left. Once the door was closed, she unconsciously reached down again to stroke her stomach. And the tiny spark of new life it contained.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Brad was pacing to and fro, worried sick about Naomi. When he had found her in the bathroom, puking what seemed like every meal she'd eaten for the last month up, he'd been at a complete loss. In fact if Sarah had not come along he might have had to use the sink for a similar purpose. Bit and Leena sat on the Ligers paw, While Jamie and Leon leaned on the workbench. Vega sat cross-legged by Bit, listening to every word he said as he described the encounter with Harry earlier that day.

"So there I am, sitting in Liger, watching as Harry held Leena in his Iron Kong's hand. And he starts insulting the Liger, calling him a coward because we used the other armours all the time now." Leena was shivering at just the memories of the event. Bit put an arm round her to comfort her without thinking about it.

"Now I get annoyed, but I'm surprised at the mood I'm getting from the Liger. He physically trembled from suppressed rage!"

"That the problem with the Fury." Vega sighed. "It can't control its anger. Insult it, and it'll lash out in answer. No waiting around. Nearly killed a fool at the Backdraft."

"Well, I think Liger held back since I was worried about Leena…" Bit stopped, remembering who was besides him. But Leena was too wrapped up in her memories to notice what Bit said. Leon and Jamie however did, and shared a knowing look.

"…Then Harry starts to say we couldn't do anything, and then I see our chance. Before I could even say anything to Liger, he's already acted. He grabs the Kong's arm by the elbow in his jaws, and then tears though the bicep with his claws. Took the arm right off!"

"Cool!" Vega was impressed. Then a thought crossed his mind. "But how did you get Leena out of the hand? Without input from the cockpit, the fingers would never open."

"Well, Liger handled that. He…" Bit trailed off as he saw Sarah walking back towards them. Brad rapidly stopped pacing and rushed over to her.

"Well, how is she?" He asked, a note of alarm in his voice.

"She's fine. It was just a spell." Sarah replied. Brad heaved a deep sigh of relief. "I put her back in your room for now…" She continued. "…But she doesn't want to be disturbed. She's got to take in some… news." Brad nodded.

"What news?" Bit asked. Leena elbowed him gently.

Sarah shook her head. "Sorry, but she asked that I not say a word. She'll tell you when she's ready. Meanwhile…" she gestured to the remote terminal between Jamie and Leon. "…I think you'll find she sent a file there." Jamie quickly rounded on the terminal. Leon looked over his shoulder while Bit, Leena and Vega got up. Brad slowly walked back towards the central base, deep in thought.

"Oh, clever." Leon muttered as they gathered round. "You could tell Na' came up with this just by the detail she puts in."

On the screen was a diagram of the Liger Zero in its basic armour. Highlighted were several points: the secondary laser generator in the checks, the back mounted ion boosters, and the central Zoid Core. Notes by each showed her lines of thought.

"Bit, how much do you know about the Ligers other armours? Primarily, how they work?"

Bit shrugged. "Not really. I mainly concentrated on how to get the best out of them in battle." He raked his brains for a second. "I remember that the Strike Laser Claw no longer works in either Schneider or Panzer though. And of course Panzer is so slow."

"Yes, to power the extra laser blades and the missile pods, Doc rewired the armours so that the power that would feed into the laser generators for the claws instead goes to the other systems." Leon tapped the screen next to the ion boosters. "The Panzer uses the power that goes to the Ion Boosters normally to feed the Hybrid Cannons. It also taps the power from the actuators to feed all those missile pods. Naomi's suggesting we add low power consumptions weapons to those systems, piggy-backing on the originals. She's also got a few ideas to boost the zoids power output, to make up for the drain on the systems. Jaime, could you bring up her suggestions?"

Jamie punched a few keys. A small list appeared, consisting of only three simply named entries. Before the list was a block of text. Jamie began to read it out.

"'The Liger Zero is mainly a close range fighter. In its basic armour, it has a strike laser claw and dual shock cannon. Both the Schneider and Jaeger are close combat type, with the Schneider completely focused on damage potential with it's seven laser blades, while the Jaeger is set up for high-speed combat, to allow it to get the strike laser claw in the right position quickly. Currently only the Panzer armour has any real form of ranged attack potential.

'As has been proved with the Panzer and the Schneider, the Liger Zero can handle a considerable amount of weaponry. However it has a limited number of points where the zoids power can be taped. To achieve the requirements of the other armours, some of the Ligers other systems had to be cut back. But if low power units could be installed in tandem with the old subsystems, instead of replacing them, then the Liger Zero basic armour could be turned into a worthy alternative to the other armours.

'These three patterns all attempt to give the Liger Zero Basic a much greater ranged ability without sacrificing its close combat potential. Some additional armour would also not go ami…' It ends there. Guess that was when she felt that attack coming."

Leena whistled. "She really covered the bases, didn't she?"

"Shows just how smart she is." Leon stated with admiration. "Shall we take a closer look at her ideas then?"

X-X-X-X-X-X

Brad sat in the central lounge, sipped a mug of coffee. His thoughts were completely focused on Naomi, who had yet to emerge from his room. What was the 'news' that Sarah had hinted at? Clearly it was nothing imminently fatal, since he felt sure that she would have never held anything like that back. And it was clearly not something like a bug that would fade away in time. No, it was something serious, but long term. Something that would have a marked effect on her life, if she lived though… whatever it was.

Brad tried not to think such negative thoughts, but he couldn't get them out of his head. He lost track of time. He just sat there, his mug in hand, the coffee going slowly colder. He only snapped out of it when he felt a hand gently rest on his shoulder.

"You okay there?" Sarah asked.

Brad looked up at her, then at his cold coffee. Grimacing, he moved through to the kitchen and tipped the cold drink down the drain. Switching on the coffee machine again, he leant on the doorframe to look at Sarah. She was clearly making an effort to be helpful, but Brad was in no condition to maintain his indifferent exterior.

"No, not really." He answered her. "I can't get her out of my head. Nor can I stop thinking about what could be wrong. Clearly she's not going to die within the next couple of days, but equally as clearly it's not something that's going to go away." He shrugged in frustration.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Sarah replied with a smirk. Naomi had asked her not to tell Brad, but this was too good a chance to pass up. Maybe she could get a clearer view of the reclusive mercenary if she niggled him.

"What's supposed to mean?"

"Well…" Sarah went evasive. "… I know what she's going though. I been though it myself once." _'And the result: Vega'_ "All I can say is that the early morning runs to the bathroom will cease in about a month, perhaps sooner. The mood swings will last longer though."

Brad raised an eyebrow. "For how much longer?"

"Sorry, I've said too much already." At Brad's look of pure frustration, Sarah softened. "You really love her don't you?"

Brad sighed, his anger dissipating. "Yes, I do." He muttered softly.

"Then trust me, she'll tell you when she's ready."

"That's the thing: how can I trust you? No offence, but you used to work for the Backdraft, an organisation that wall full of deceitful, backstabbing characters. Hell, you were one of the top people! So tell me: why should I trust you?"

Sarah sighed. She had expected something like this to come up. Surprisingly though, she didn't feel any resentment towards Brad. She tried to arrange her arguments into a logical arrangement.

"First of all, I may have worked for them, but I never really believed the core policies." She eased down into one of the couches in the central area. It was exceptional soft, something she had not experienced for some time. She allowed herself a few seconds to luxuriate in the feeling, before turning her thoughts back to the longhaired mercenary standing before her.

"When I found out I was pregnant with Vega, I had nothing. No job, no qualifications, nothing. The only things I had were a couple of friends, and my future child. But it was only Stoller – Stigma – who helped me."

Brad had drifted forwards and now sat on the couch opposite her, all thoughts of the coffee forgotten.

"Stigma was like an older brother to me. Despite being several years my senior, he cared for me. When he left to join the Backdraft, I went with him." Sarah leaned back, the haze of memories drifting over her eyes. Unnoticed by both, Leon and Leena had also drifted in. They had been going to see if their father had calmed down enough that he could be safely let out of his room. The work on the Liger would work much faster if they had his help. But now they felt drawn to Sarah's sad tale.

"At first, the Backdraft was not the ruthless organisation that it became. At first it was set up by pilots that found regular, ZBC organised battles dull. Their blood didn't fire. Why is not my tale, its Stollers, to tell as he sees fit.

"He could barely afford to feed us both if I hadn't been pregnant. I nearly ate him out of his job. So I started to take a role in the group. I found I had a knack for organisation, and I've always been able to take the long view, and plan ahead. Thanks to my help, the Backdraft found its feet and began to survive.

"I dropped out on the main group when Vega was born, but I remained interested. So I asked Stoller to keep me apprised of what happened. I had moved out of his place by then, since I doubted he'd enjoy the company of a baby. But I didn't get too involved: I had sworn that I would be there for Vega, unlike my parents had been for me."

She sighed deeply. "Looking back, had I stayed involved, I might have been able to stop the transformation from a simple thrill seeking pilots club to the monster that it became in the later years." She remained focused on Brad, even though she knew about the other two listeners who had now moved into the room proper and sat down together in a spare couch. It was Brad alone who needed to hear this.

"After a while, I needed to earn my own money again. But the newly appointed – self-appointed in my opinion – committee of seven _requested _that I work for the Backdraft. At that time, the lower ranks knew who most of the committee members were. I knew six of them. I knew that they didn't want their involvement with the Backdraft to become public knowledge. I didn't know why at the time."

She sighed again. "As time went by, I was drawn in deeper and deeper, and the more I was dragged in, the more ruthless and vindictive the people I had to work with were. After a couple of bad points involving Vega, I realised I had to school myself in their tactics, so I could fend them off in equal terms. To further cover myself, and Vega, I asked him to never refer to me as 'Mom' around other people. I was afraid that if it were found out that he was my son, some of the others would use him to get at me. Only Stoller and Pierce knew the truth. They were the only one's I trusted."

Sarah scowled at her resurfaced memories. "I never did find out who the Count was, despite some very careful searching. I only stopped when I found a note left in my bedroom at home. All that was written was: 'Stop looking for me, accidents can happen.' But I got the message."

Leena felt sick to her stomach, while Leon raged internally. What kind of man threatens the life of a child?

"Over time, I gained power within the organisation, but I did it playing by their rules. It still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. So you see, although I grew to adulthood and brought up my son within the Backdraft, I don't owe them any form of loyalty. Once maybe, long ago, but not the form it's in under the Count."

"What about the Judge satellites? You ordered the destruction of the ZBC's network…" Brad asked gently. All his anger had drifted away.

Sarah scowled again. "That was the Counts idea, not mine. He was adamant that now we had a fully operational satellite network of our own, we could remove the ZBC once and for all. Once the ZBC was gone, the Backdraft would emerge as its replacement." She smiled thinly. "Somehow I doubt it would have stopped there. I always got the feeling that the Count was playing for bigger things, and had his eye set on much loftier goals. Or maybe he had a higher boss? I sometimes got the feeling that he wasn't the top person in the organisation, that there was someone else behind him, pulling the strings.

"The destruction of the satellites was the one thing I really fought him on. But I was over ruled. Maybe that's how Altiel got his hands on those three Genosaurers, I certainly never saw him as the type to have the kinds of contacts needed to acquire those.

"I did manage to alter the Counts plans though. He was originally going to use nuclear tipped missiles." Leena gasped in shock. Both Leon's and Brad's jaws fell. Nuclear weapons had been outlawed for centuries. In fact there had never been a nuclear weapon used in the history of Zi, even as far back as before the disaster that destroyed the Ancient Zoidian civilisation. It was a monument to their beliefs that they hadn't used such weapons on the cause of their demise, the Death Saurer.

Sarah smiled. "It took all my persuasive techniques, but I finally managed to talk him round to using charged particle weaponry. It was quite a masterstroke really. We recreated the tail of the Death Stinger, but it was slaved to a simple fire control computer, not to any zoid. But by using it to down the satellites, it would put the fear into the ZBC that we had recreated the Death Stinger itself. At least that's what I told him." She shrugged. "It also held back the destruction of the network until our mock-up was ready. Fortunately by then the ZBC had finished the Super Satellite. I had known that they were building it; I just didn't pass the information along. But even I was shocked by its size." She smiled at the joy she had felt when the Counts plan misfired. Her listeners couldn't help but smile too.

"Do you think the Backdraft will return?" Leon asked. Sarah sat back in thought.

Leena too was thinking hard, but not about Leon's question. _'Bit was right. She was trapped within the Backdraft. Course, it's only her word right now, but why lie now?'_ Leena began to feel guilt at doubting Bit's judgement, and her own rash reaction.

"Not in its present form, at the least." Sarah finally answered. "It may return to its original form, but to all intents and purposed the Backdraft is dead. My testament should have seen to that."

Leon picked up on a hidden meaning. _'She said 'Her' testament…'_

"Aren't you worried about reprisals?" Leena asked. "If some of those who you testified against found out where you were…"

Sarah sighed. "That's why I'm getting desperate to earn some money, so we can get the Fury fixed. Vega can keep it under control, and no warrior in his right mind would challenge Vega and the Fury together."

"Except Bit."

Sarah laughed with Leena and Leon. "Yes, except Bit. I hope he and Vega can become friends. Vega's had a very sheltered life until now, and he's going to need help to adjust."

"Well, I won't say we're all that normal, but we'll certainly help." Leon realised the underlying message he was giving out: the Blitz team accepted Sarah and Vega, together.

"Thank you." Sarah had picked up on the second layer in Leon's' voice, and she felt very grateful. The only time she had felt like this before was when Stroller had taken her in during her hour of need. Now she and Vega were in similar straits, and once again people she barely knew were opening their doors for them, simply because they cared.

She looked over at Brad. "Well, have I cleared your mind of doubts?"

Brad slowly nodded. "Yes."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Far away from the warm glow that suffused the Blitz team, a man sat at his desk in his private retreat. This was were he had always come to brood and reflect. Where he laid his plans, and drowned his sorrows.

Curse that Sarah Obscura! The conniving witch had planed this from the moment she had learned of his plan to finish off the weakling Zoid Battle Commission! How humiliating, to lose out to a descendent of two of his old rivals! She even looked like one of them, right down to her hair! But how could she have known that creating the illusion that the Death Stinger – his personal zoid – had been resurrected would be so enticing to him? Could she have realised…

No. She never could have worked out who he really was, or even that he existed. Despite his age, he hadn't lost his mind yet. Of course, some said he had lost his mind centuries ago. Those who had thought that were now all dead.

Well, he thought, time to start again. The Backdraft may have been a loss, but he now had a clear idea of where the last fragments of his greatest set back lay. One was locked up in a ZBC compound, and if his agents were successful, in a couple of weeks it would never interfere with his plans again. He thought he had dealt with it before, but that fool Altiel had dug it up without his knowledge. And once it had been dug out, he couldn't turn round and have it reburied. Though the entombment did seem to have had a positive effect on the stubborn old thing…

Another was roaming free, but it was only a matter of time before he could bring his vengeance to Sarah and her brat of a child, Vega. God that spoilt little squirts resemblance to one of those who had defeated him was uncanny! He knew that he would get great pleasure from removing Raven's remaining legacy…

The last was sitting in the Blitz Team hanger, he was sure of it. Trouble was it seemed it had brought the luck from the past along with it down the years…

He snapped back to the present as his monitor lit up.

"**An agent within the Law wishes to report to you personally. Says he has important information. And Count Umbra is arriving." **An electronic voice stated flatly. The voice of his partner, the only other – thing – he could count on. Their goals did coincide after all.

"All right Heli, I'll receive the agent now. Have Umbra escorted down here. I'll deal with him after I hear this 'Important' information."

"**Patching you though. And I told you not to call me 'Heli'. My designation is 'Helios'."**

The man laughed. It was a long running joke between them, though Helios had never got it. Most likely because 'it' was a machine, and was not programmed for humour.

After a few seconds, the call came though. The man knew the officer in question on the other end on the line would only see a vague outline, not enough to id him. Conversely he knew everything about this officer.

"Report, and make it good." He ground out.

The Officer was suitably scared. "I… I just got the transcript of Sarah Obscura's last routine report. She asked permission to visit the Blitz team. Her minder cleared it."

The man said nothing, his mind whirling. No, this could not be happening! If the Obscuras were visiting the Blitz team, it could mean only one thing…

…Sarah knew she couldn't hide forever, so she was running right to those who had always beaten the Backdraft!

This would ruin everything! If the Blitz took Sarah and Vega in, then they'd take the Fury in, ruining his plans to kill it permanently. And if they managed to get the Fury up again…

But wait, this could be used to his advantage. With all the remaining ghosts in one place, he could wipe them out in one go! He couldn't use a nuclear weapon, not with the ZBC's super satellite in orbit. It could shoot down any missile…

…Maybe Helios's legions could deliver the weapon instead…

"Thank you from bring this to my attention." The lord cut off the startled officer. "Helios?"

"**Yes?"**

"That officer is getting too delicate to continue being a spy. Arrange his… retirement."

"**Consider it done."**

"Good. Now, show in the Count."

The doors on the far side of the room creaked open, and Count Umbra, the shadowy ex-leader of the Backdraft walked in. He kept glancing fearfully at the mechanical constructs that walked besides him as they escorted him to the centre of the chamber. Due to the low lights in the room, they were little more than harsh shadows. But in the centre of their bodies a baleful blue light gleamed, tinged red. Like some kind of narrowed eye.

"Ah, my dear Count. How good of you to spare me the trouble of sending someone to fetch you." _'For your execution.'_

The Count swallowed. "My lord, I wish to… I beg for your forgiveness. It was all that bitches Sarah's fault! She delayed the destruction of the ZBC's satellite network, she…"

"Oh, so you allowing yourself to be talked round from my plan does not shoulder any blame?" The count went as white as a sheet. "What about the fact that it was you who put her in a position that allowed her to affect my plan? You put her in overall control of the operation, did you not?"

"Y…yes, my lord" The Count was clearly terrified, as he should.

"Umbra, you are as equally to blame as Sarah Obscura. And you know how I punish failure…"

"Please, my lord!" The Count dropped to his knees. "Give me another chance! Anything!"

The man considered the Count for a second. "You were one of my best operatives…" The best had been those two, centuries ago. "…But you are of no more use to me. But you can still be useful."

"H…how can I serve?" Hope crept into the Counts voice.

"Simple. Your death will have meaning." And with that, the Lord hit a button.

The Count had no chance to respond. One second he was there, the next the floor beneath him fell away, dropping him into the shaft underneath. Neither of his escorts moved. They had been standing just beyond the trapdoor, as programmed.

As the floor reset itself, the Dark Lord considered his options. "Helios, could you assemble a strike force? A large strike force." he corrected himself, absently toying with a lock of his greyed, flaming red hair. "Preferably a disposable one…"

* * *

**DR**: New guessing competition: Who's the 'Dark Lord'? Next time, we learn more about the connection between Sarah, both Ligers and the Fury... 


	13. Tinkering & Ancient Ghosts

**DR**: Okay, this chapter is shortish, but important...

**Zeke:** goodie!(grabs bag of popcorn)

* * *

Chapter 13: Tinkering & Ancient Ghosts

"Bit?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure Vega, what?"

Vega looked over at Bits feet, the only bit of him he could see. After the gathered pilots had looked over all three of Naomi's separate proposals, they had quickly searched though the piles of salvage to find the parts need for each. At least, they attempted to.

All three ideas shared the basic idea of upgrading the Ligers power systems. While some of the parts needed were in need of a clean, Bit had gathered enough to allow them to proceed. With two people able to understand it, and a third able to at least get an idea of its thoughts, the Liger had become quite active in its own upgrade. It became clear that the Liger had pondered the thought of an upgrade before now, and it had a whole set of useful tips hidden away in its memory.

Leena had been amused at the sight of the Liger arguing with Bit and Vega. "The Liger is trying to dictate how his own operation will proceed!" Now Bit was chest deep in the Liger, working his way though the zoids body to install the needed parts. Jamie had taken over cleaning each part as needed before passing them to Bit.

It had been on the point of weapons that things would have to be adjusted. The first idea had a pair of lightweight automatic cannons grafted onto the Ligers cheeks. With good range and accuracy combined with surprising power for their size, the cannons would have been a worthy upgrade. But it was clear Naomi had only been looking at the list of parts, not their conditions. Both cannons had been damaged. It was unlikely the one would ever fire again, while the other needed some extensive work to fix the damaged barrel. While the two could be combined to form a whole gun, it did not help them.

The second suggested the use of a pair of micro-missile racks instead. These tiny electronic seeking rockets were amongst the weakest weapons a zoid could carry. Their only real advantage was the fact they were dead cheap and were so easy to use: point and shoot. The fact that they were also very frugal with a zoids power supply and were surprisingly tough – hence reliable - was a bonus. Bit had several launchers and missiles, most in good condition, a testament to their durability.

The final idea had not bothered with cheek weapons at all, and had instead concentrated on the ion booster hard points. Naomi had suggested using a range of weapons there, from a sniper rifle to mortar cannons, in all three proposals. The core to the third idea was a pair of long-range missile pods slung outside the boosters, with a quad cannon turret mounted in the middle. While the turret idea was good, it would take far too long to fabricate.

While Leena and Leon went back to the base to see if their father had calmed down, Bit and Liger had talked over the suggestions. In the end they had decided to combine the second and third ideas. They would mount the 'Splinter' racks in the cheeks, while long-range missile pods would be added to the outside of the ion boosters.

Juggling the power output to the demand was a challenge, but Jamie had always had a head for numbers. They also had to find which pods were in the best shape, and could be made ready for tomorrow. In the end, they settled on using two dual shot LRM pods – the same class and type as those on Leena's Gunsniper in fact – and cut down the largest micro-missile pods to fit in the cheeks, since they only had one pod that would fit neatly, and that was damaged. Vega was tasked with marking out the 'Splinters' for cutting. Each pod, originally a sixteen shot pod, would have to lose four tubes to fit, plus any that were too badly damaged to be safe. Luckily the damage was confined to the ends of the racks, so they weren't wasting any tubes.

"Bit, when you and the Liger fight, do you pick up on the Liger emotions?"

"Sure. Liger and I are perfectly in step." The Liger roared in agreement.

"What do you guys feel?"

"Excited, challenged, and enjoyment. Why?" Bit now pulled himself out from within the Liger, before making his way over to Vega. As he sat beside him at the workbench, Vega noticed that Bit was splattered in lubrication oil and zoid fluid.

"When the Fury fought, I felt what it was feeling." Vega sighed.

"What was that?"

"It felt angry. Angry that other zoids would challenge it. Angry that others would not recognise its power and flee before it." Vega hesitated. "Angry that it had been entombed for so long, and that it was not helped when it was being so."

"Wait. You're saying that the Fury was entombed under the sea without its consent?" Bit had always got the impression that you couldn't do something like that to a zoid. Especially one as powerful as the Fury was.

Vega nodded empathically. "That really came though strong. It was grabbed, stunned into submission, and then entombed in a casing that held it locked in place." Vega sighed again. "I think it must have either focused on its anger at that injustice to maintain its sanity, or…"

"…Or the Fury did go insane." Bit finished. Now things made more sense. Clearly if the Berserker Fury had that much pent up anger in it, it would act violently at the slightest provocation. It was a pressure cooker, without a safety value. The rage had no safe way of dissipating, so it built up till it was unleashed on the poor soul who had been foolish enough to provide a means of relief.

Bit was struck by a thought. "Did it ever explain why you could calm it down?"

Vega looked thoughtful. "I never fully understood it's explanation, but I think that at some time in its past, before its incarceration, the Fury belonged to someone who looked like me. Or I look like him. It says that I have a similar personality too, at my core." Vega shook his head. "As I said, I haven't yet figured out what that means. But I'm worried too."

"How come?"

Vega pushed back a lock of hair. "It can't be good for the Fury to have all that anger locked up inside right?" Bit nodded. "So, what happens when I can't control it anymore? The Fury could wipe out half the population of Europa, all by itself."

"So you think the Fury needs to let go of its rage…"

Vega nodded. "Yea, but…"

"But what?"

"What if when – if – it can let go, would it remain the same zoid?" Vega's face clearly showed his worry. "What if that rage is all that it has left? Would it remain a powerful zoid, or would it become nothing more than a vegetable? Does it still have a personality, like the Liger does?"

Bit thought for a second. "Well, assuming that it does, I'd say that it's rage may empower it now, but if you can tap its power in other ways, it could be just as powerful, just not as homicidal, as it is now." Bit grinned, trying to cheer Vega up.

Vega nodded slowly. "Maybe." Bit frowned.

"You talked to Sarah about this? She might know something..."

"No. I'm not a little kid anymore. I can figure this out myself." Vega's face was set with defiance, and for the first time he looked like he had fought, ruthless and undaunted.

As Bit watched the change come over Vega, he realised that when Vega set his face that way, he reminded Bit of someone famous. No, somebody infamous…

"Vega, hold that look…"

"Huh? What look?"

"That 'I don't need anybody's help' look you just had." Vega, clearly puzzled, complied. Bit continued to stare at him. He was more sure every second that somehow the face was familiar, but…

A low growl from above distracted Bit. He looked up at the Liger Zero.

"What buddy?"

**#Vega's face, when he had that look…#**

"Yea, what about it?"

**#I've seen that look before, on a face very similar…# **The Liger sounded almost shaken.

Before Bit could reply, Leon's Blade Liger growled too.

**#Blade say's he's getting memories of a face like that too…#**

Both Bit and Vega were startled, too startled to notice that the Liger Zero had referred to Leon's zoid by _name_. Clearly something was afoot here…

"What's all the growling about?"

Bit looked over at the entrance to the main base. Both Leon and Sarah stood there, clearly worried about what was going on.

"Both our zoids are saying they've got memories of someone who looks like Vega!"

"What? You mean both Ligers?"

"Yea. When Vega sets his face in a certain way, he reminds me of someone infamous… But I can't remember who…"

Sarah meanwhile was staring at the Blade Liger. Now she was closer that feeling was back, stronger than before. She felt that she and it had some past connection, a connection that was dark and filled with hate and fear…

…_**You have nothing to fear from me, little one. I may have faint memories I dislike, from a life I did not live, but they don't control me…**_

Sarah gasped. The voice had come from within her head. She realised the Blade Liger was staring right at her.

'_Who…who are you?'_

…_**I am Blade. Leon Toros is my pilot…**_

The Blade Liger was talking to her, directly mind to mind! _'How is this possible? Us talking like this?'_

…_**You know how, little blue haired one…**_

'_No I don't'_

…**_Blade, human memories are not as strong or as good as ours…_ **another mental voice stated. Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah could see the Liger Zero was looking across the hanger. Its 'voice' was much older sounding, wiser.

…_**True, though considering her mixed heritage, I'd expect her to be at least a little more knowledgeable…**_

Sarah hated being talked about in the third person. _'What are you two talking about?'_

…**_Sarah Obscura, I'm sorry. Clearly the knowledge has been lost over the generations. But at least I now know who it is Vega reminds me of…_ **The Liger Zero apologised.

Sarah was almost afraid to ask. _'Who?'_

…**_Raven…_ **It stated gently.** _…You are – I can tell - a direct descendent of him and the Ancient Zoidian Reese. In fact, you look like Reese, while Vega is, physically, almost exactly like Raven…_ **The Liger paused. Sarah knew that Leon, Bit and Vega were all talking to her, but she couldn't listen.

…_**Sarah, despite the many generations in between, you maintain a strong genetic link with Reese. You have her blood in your veins. That is why we can communicate like this, though it puts an incredible strain on your nervous system. You're partly an Ancient Zoidian…**_

Sarah felt the Liger withdraw. Suddenly feeling weak, she slowly toppled. As her view went black, the last thing she saw was the floor rushing up towards her.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Naomi didn't know how long she lay there. Her thoughts were completely centred on the startling diagnosis Sarah Obscura had given.

She still couldn't believe it, but it certainly fitted the pattern of events and facts. Sarah had first hand experience of pregnancy, so she should know how to recognise the signs. But there was still that element of doubt. First chance she got, Naomi would go to a qualified doctor for a professional opinion. It wasn't that she didn't trust Sarah, but that she needed the reassurance that only a fully trained professional could give.

Naomi secretly hoped that Sarah was right. Deep down, she was thrilled at the prospect, though it terrified her almost as much. And as much of a let down as having to drop out of zoid competitions would be, the prospect of bringing a new life into the world was one she could barely wait to experience.

But how would Brad react? That was the million credit question. Neither of them had asked it of the other, and he was a natural loner. The prospect of having to care for a bouncy little child might be too much for him to bear. But on the other hand it might allow him to open up more, show that emotional side of his soul that so rarely surfaced.

Naomi had always been driven and suffered no nonsense. First, get it confirmed or denied. The she could start worrying about how to tell Brad. She knew that her parents would be over the moon, though her father would be a bit put off that she wasn't married yet. He was old-fashioned like that. Not that Naomi had minded at all. She too had always assumed that she'd get married then have kids. But she had not met the right kind of guy. Brad was the best yet, and she truly loved him, but was he the marrying type? How would the best known free spirit react to the idea of settling down with one woman and children?

Naomi shrugged as she pulled herself up. One thing for sure, no matter what happened between her and Brad, she knew she would get support from not only the rest of the Blitz team, but Sarah too. Naomi was certain that she would need all the help she could get, and Sarah had been kind and courteous. If she had any say in the matter, Naomi was going to vote fully for bringing both Sarah and Vega Obscura into the Blitz Team, full time.

"**An interesting plan. No one would see it coming."**

The man laughed. "Of course, how could they? An attack by complete unknowns?"

"**I do however wonder if we should expose our forces so soon. The manufacturing bays are still not quite complete…"**

"Heli, you've been working on those bays for almost a hundred and fifty years! How much longer will it take?"

"**Not long. Predictions indicate that full production can begin in a little over five weeks."**

"I can't wait that long. We need this attack. We cannot afford to have those last fragments from my past continue to survive. They need to be eliminated!" He slammed his fist on the desk.

'**Perhaps we should consider an alternative force, say, some of the remaining Backdraft zoids?" **Helios suggested. **"Under my direct control, they would fight to the last. And it would be understandable, would it not? The last gasp of revenge…"**

The man sat back, a sly grin forming on his scarred face. "Helios, you're a genius."

"**Of course." **Somehow the super computer sounded distinctly smug.

"So how long before you can get this force ready?"

"**Four days."**


	14. Speculations

**DR: **Okay, Sarah comes clean now...

**Shadow**: Yesss...

* * *

Chapter 14: Speculations

Sarah slowly came to, one hell of a headache pounding in her skull. _'He wasn't kidding when he said it put a strain on me…'_

As her eyes began to work again, she tried to work out where she was. Putting a hand to her forehead, she expected to find a nasty gash from striking the metal floor of the hanger. Instead her skin was unblemished. This promoted her to fully open her eyes. As she focused, Sarah quickly noticed that she had been here before… It was the Blitz team lounge.

She looked around, wincing at her pounding head. The first thing she saw was Vega sitting besides her, his face downcast.

"Hey…" she asked weakly.

"Mom?" Vega's head snapped up. Seeing she was awake, his mood instantly brightened. "Mom!" He cried as he threw his arms round her.

She returned his embrace warmly. Her throbbing head was already easing, and Vega's concern was touching. Motion in the corner of her eye drew her attention.

"How are you feeling?" Leon asked as he squatted besides them. She could see Leena standing just behind him, relief written all over her face.

Their concern for her welfare deeply affected Sarah. These people had been until a few short months ago her enemies, and she had been plotting and scheming their downfall. Yet here they were, accepting her into their lives, showing all the care and concern they would each other. She felt tears begin to form in her eyes, and she didn't have the heart to stop them.

"Okay, I guess." She answered Leon, smiling while continuing to hug her son. Leon grinned back.

"Good. You had us all worried there, standing there like a statue before fainting like that…" Leon hesitated, a slight flush colouring his cheeks.

"Yeah. I had just stepped though when you fainted. If Leon hadn't been so quick you would have ended up with a nasty injury." Leena added. Leon's face flushed redder.

So it had been Leon who had saved her from injury. She felt a blush begin to form.

"Thank you."

Leon nodded, not trusting himself to reply.

As Vega released her, Sarah looked around. "Where's Bit and Brad?"

Leena shrugged. "Bit's continuing work on the Liger. He would be in here too, but Vega told him to finish his work on the Liger. As for Brad…" Leena hesitated. "…Naomi asked him to drive her to Romeo City hospital."

"Ah."

"That's it?" Leena asked incredulously. "Naomi feels she needs to see a Doctor now, and all you say is 'Ah'?"

Sarah shook her head. "It's not what you think. I gave her my theory, and she asked me not to tell anyone. Not till she got things confirmed." Sarah shrugged. "I guessed she wouldn't wait that long to do so, though I'd have thought tonight was a little soon."

"So, what was that spell all about?" Leon inquired as he sat down on the couch across from Sarah. Leena joined him.

Sarah hesitated, unsure how to proceed. "Well, I'm not sure what happened myself. One minute I'm thinking about this 'feeling' I get around your Blade Liger, the next…"

"Wait. A feeling? Like you got with the Fury?" Vega interrupted.

"Sort of. Though this time I felt like there was something 'dark' within the Liger…"

Vega turned to Leon. "You even get feelings like that, in your zoid?"

Leon slowly nodded. "Sometimes, mainly when I fought Bit. It was as if the Blade Liger had fought the Liger Zero before in another life, and lost…"

Sarah thought back on the Blade Ligers words. "Perhaps it did…" At the others blank looks, Sarah pushed on.

"We all know that, baring catastrophic damage, a zoid can live and function for hundreds of years, provided it was well maintained and looked after." Leon nodded.

"I've also heard tales about how zoids were, before the command systems became so predominate. Back then they acted more like the Liger Zero and the Fury. They could be picky about their pilots. Certainly only a few could get the best out of any zoid."

"Tapping their full potential." Leon muttered. Sarah nodded in agreement, even as Leena rolled her eyes.

"Maybe zoids are more alive than we believe? What if they do live in ways we can't understand, or have forgotten?" Leena snorted, but Sarah could tell that both Vega and Leon were listening very carefully.

"Back in the hanger, I… I suddenly started hearing voices. In my head." Leena raised an eyebrow, but Sarah pushed on. "The first introduced itself as 'Blade. Leon Toros is my pilot.'" Leon's eyes widened. Leena sat up.

"All right, I'm going to see if Bit needs any help!" She stormed out. Sarah watched her go with sadness. _'She must think I'm either crazy or making it up…'_

"I'm sorry if my sister makes you feel uncomfortable." Leon apologised gently. "She's never been good at accepting new ideas quickly." He moved across besides her. "Go on."

Sarah took a deep breath before continuing her tale. "Well, when I 'asked' how we could talk like that, it – he – said that I knew. I didn't. That's when another voice jumped in." She shrugged. "I'm pretty sure it was the Liger Zero. Its voice was so – mature. And sounded wise. He told me that I could talk to them mind to mind because I have an amount of Ancient Zoidian blood in my veins." While Leon contemplated this stunning revelation, she looked at Vega before averting her eyes, looking at her feet. "It also told me it now knew who Vega reminds him of."

Leon and Vega looked at each other, neither really wanting to know the answer to the question that had to come next. "Who?" Leon asked carefully.

"Raven." Sarah whispered. "The Liger Zero said that Vega is almost exactly like Raven."

Vega gasped. "You mean, Raven the Destroyer?"

Sarah nodded glumly. "The Liger told me…" she took a deep breath. "…We're his, and Reese's – the Blue Devil – descendents."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Bit looked up at the Ligers eye, just above where he was working. "How's that feel, partner?"

The Liger growled gently, shaking its head even so slightly.

**#Just a little more...#**

Bit laughed, before cranking the clamps a few more turns. Shortly after Sarah had fainted, Bit had finished his work within the Liger. It was all up to the Liger to adapt his systems to accept the new parts. The Liger was confident that with his intimate knowledge of his systems, he could improve upon Naomi's suggested power increase.

Bit and Jamie had set about modifying the weapon pods they were going to use, and the mounting points needed for them. Jamie had asked to do the LRM pods, while Bit took the Micro Missiles. Vega had marked out the sections to cut off perfectly, all Bit had to do was cut straight. Though a zoids self repair systems – a complete mystery even to Zoid technicians – could account for sloppy workmanship and fill in gaps and flaws, the zoids never liked doing so. By cutting straight, Bit not only eased the workload on the Liger, it made it easier for the zoid to adapt and incorporate the new parts.

Had they simply been replacing the units installed in the armour, it would have been almost no trouble. It would have been as simple as switching a plug. But since they were modifying an existing system, the process was much more uncertain.

Bit had learned a lot about zoids and zoid workings that evening, mostly at the hands of the Liger itself. He had crawled throughout the zoids body, installing the new parts in parallel with the old. All the time the Liger had gently rumbled to him, explaining why many of the more exotic conversions of zoids rarely worked. A zoid had only a limited number of general access points, the Liger had explained, where it was simple to tap into the zoids power. But to create a new point was very difficult. That was why Bit's first attempt to give the Liger a ranged weapon had failed.

Hopefully come morning, one would never be able to tell which parts had been installed first, and which ones had been installed the night before. The connections and soldered joins would have flowed into one, until it was impossible to tell where the joins had been.

Now they were installing the extra weapons. Luckily for the 'Splinters' they had only to remove some plating at the root of the vent like structure on the Ligers cheek, as the tubes lined up perfectly with the fins. Bit had stripped the pods casing away, leaving only the tubes and feeder systems, before sliding the package into the vent structure from inside. When fired, the tiny rockets, only as long as Bit's forearm, would shoot out of the vent. It would come as a surprise to many warriors.

The LRM pods were more easily seen. Each tube had three reloads in a drum magazine, giving the Liger Zero a potential total of sixteen missiles, of which it could fire one, two or four at a time. Mindful of the lessons learned during their battles in Class S, they were planning on buying 'smart' missiles. Equipped with their own guidance systems, Smart missiles could be guided from the zoid sensors, use their own smaller sensors, or failing that home in on the strongest source of electronic noise. If another team brought an ECM along, these missiles would simply change targets and follow the ECM broadcast to its source. But for the battle tomorrow Bit would only carry eight standard missiles, all he owned. Leena had stated empathically that he could not use her stock.

"How's it coming Jamie?" Bit called out.

"Almost got it…" the answer floated back. Jamie was crouched down between the ion boosters, making the connections between the old cables that fed the boosters themselves, and the new cables that ran from the missile pods. Each pod was mounted on a small turntable, a refinement of Leon's, that allowed them to pivot up to fire yet be brought down to horizontal for greater straight line speed.

Soon all four systems were installed. Now it was the Ligers turn to make sure they were all working and seated correctly. Bit stood back to admire the evening work.

"Apart from the LRM's, you wouldn't notice any change." Bit turned to look over his shoulder. Leena stood there, gazing at the Liger in appreciation. Bit grinned at her happily. Surprisingly, she returned the grin with a smile of her own. Harry wouldn't know what hit him.

"We'll still have to register the changes with the ZBC." Jamie groaned. He could see the forms dancing in his head already. Bit clapped the smaller man on his back.

"Don't worry about it Jamie. They allowed the Panzer didn't they? I'm sure that they wouldn't mind these small things." He waved at the trolley where all the micro-missiles had been racked up. Looking up at the Ligers head, Bit spotted a couple more places where a few more micro missile tubes could be secreted. Something he could think about after the battle tomorrow.

"Come on; let's get this place cleaned up. I'm hungry."

X-X-X-X-X-X

As they drove out towards the city where it all began, Naomi couldn't help but keep looking at Brad's face. He was concentrating on the road ahead, but clearly he was still thinking hard. The wind whipped his hair about as he pushed the jeep forward. Although he kept his usual cool calm expression on, Naomi had become quite adept at seeing the small clues that showed his true emotional state.

The way he tightly held the wheel clearly stated that he was stressed, while the frown in his eyes shouted out that he was annoyed at not being kept in the loop. Naomi could understand that; had their positions been reversed, she would have been more than a little annoyed at having to drive someone somewhere with no explanation. But all she could say when he asked why was that she needed a professional opinion of her condition. She got the feeling that had it been anyone else, Brad would not have budged until he was told the whole story. But with her, he had acquiesced.

As they moved within the city limits, Brad slowed down from reckless to 'just' high speeds. As they passed the hotel where the ball had been held, Naomi couldn't help but sigh.

"Brings back memories doesn't it?"

She looked at Brad again, but this time he had a smirk on his face. Clearly he had nothing but fond memories of that night. Naomi didn't trust herself to reply.

As they pulled in just before the hospital entrance, Naomi turned in her set to face him.

"Brad, I have to ask you something more."

"Sure Na, what?" He replied as he shut the engine off.

Naomi took a deep breath. "I need you to wait for me, either here or just inside."

Brad's face darkened. "What? Why?"

"I just need to do this myself."

Brad looked away, scowling. Naomi felt her heart ache at the sight.

"Brad," she began, turning his head towards her. "Do you love me?"

His black look faded. "More than anything else."

"Do you trust me?"

Brad looked at her for a second, before nodding. "Yes."

"Then let me do this, alone."

He sat there for several seconds, before he sighed deeply. "Alright."

Together the pair of them entered the hospital. Like any major city hospital there was a constant bustle, as orderlies, doctors and patients moved to and fro. Leaving Brad at the central waiting area with the relatives of patients, Naomi walked over to the main desk. The women sitting behind the desk stared at her terminal, not even noticing Naomi.

"Excuse me."

"Oh sorry, didn't realise…" The women looked up and gasped, her eyes widening. "You're Naomi Fluegel, aren't you?"

"Yes I am… how did you know?"

The women grinned. "My son's crazy about you. He's crazy about any female zoid pilot really, but you're considered the best in Class A." She grimaced. "I wish he'd pay less attention to the pilots and battles, and paid more attention to his grades though. He says he's going to be zoid warrior, so he doesn't need grades…" the women shook her head in despair.

"Well, tell him from me, he'll need them. They don't let just anybody become a warrior."

The women grinned. "Oh, wait till he hears that! Now," she quickly became serious. "How may I help you?"

Naomi lost a lot of her confidence. Glancing over at Brad to make sure he wasn't listening, she leaned closer to the older women. "Could you direct me to the maternity ward?"

The woman narrowed her eyes, before looking over at Brad herself. A sly smile crossed her lips, as she looked Naomi up and down. "Pregnant?"

Naomi bit her lip. "Not sure."

"Don't you worry; I'll take you to where you'll need to be." The woman lifted an old voice-only phone from her desk. "Hello back there?" she paused. "Ah Julie. I've got a… lady here who I need to escort to where she needs to be. Could you cover for me?" She listened. "Thanks." Replacing the handset, she smiled up at Naomi.

"All right love, once my covers here we can head on up."

Naomi sighed in relief. "Thank you."

* * *

**DR**: Well, the little known secret of Sarah and Vega is out! Till next time! 


	15. A Family Meal

Chapter 15: A Family Meal

Leon sat back, trying to take in what Sarah had said. How do you respond when someone tells you that they're descended from a mass murderer, who rampaged almost unchecked across most of the known world, and a person who controlled minds for fun?

"Well," he stammered after a couple of minutes. "That does explain a few things."

Sarah looked up at him sharply. "Such as?"

"Vega's skills, your lovely hair…" Leon flushed a bright red again. He couldn't believe he'd said that!

Sarah reached up and brushed a stray lock back. Now that she thought about it, it did explain an awful lot. Neither of Sarah's parents had such hair, so she had always wondered where she had gained the permanent dye-job. But if she was descended from Reese, the blue haired Ancient Zoidian, then it could be that her hair colour was a latent gene, one that was passed down underneath everything else. Rarely showing, but always there.

It also explained Vega's incredible latent piloting skills. Raven had been considered the best zoid pilot ever, with his rival Van Flyheight sometimes just above or just below him in skill. Depending on whom you asked.

"…But try to remember. While you may look like them, you're not them. Raven's life does not have to be Vega's, and you don't have to terrorise people." Leon pushed on past his slip of the tongue. "Just because you share their blood and features, does not mean you are destined to become them."

"But we already have, haven't we?" Sarah asked quietly. "Our time with the Backdraft…"

"Is over now. Okay, Raven may have destroyed dozens, hundreds of military base, killed hundreds of people. But he settled down and lived a peaceful life, in the end." Leon gently interrupted. He took one of Sarah's hands. She looked up into his eyes sadly. "There is always hope. The trick is to hang on to it."

She sighed in resignation. "Your right, it's just… my life has been anything but hopeful. I lived one day at a time, even after I was taken in by Stoller." She looked down at Vega, who looked up at her with a child's love.

"Well, you won't have to any more." Bit stated from the doorway. He quickly stepped though from the hanger, followed by Leena and Jamie. "Once we start winning again, no-one here will be deprived again." Bit's supreme confidence and belief touched everyone in the room, even Leena, who was tempted to argue with him. She was going to remind him that the ZBC still had to agree for Sarah and Vega to join the Blitz team – her own doubts had been laid to rest over the course of the evening – but the look on Sarah's face after Bit's prediction silenced her.

Shaking her head, she noticed Bit was about to slump in the couch besides Vega. She cleared her throat loudly. As he looked up at her, she gestured to his clothing.

"Don't you think you should wash up first? After all, we do have guests."

Bit looked down at himself, before looking up with a rueful grin. "Oops. Excuse me Vega, Sarah, but I need a shower…" And with that he dashed down the hall.

Sarah softly laughed as Leena shock her head again. "Is he always like this?"

"All the time." Leena answered, almost wistfully. Sarah glanced at Leon, who grinned slyly back. Once Leena set off after Bit, Sarah leaned closer to Leon.

"Do you suppose…?"

"No bet." Leon stated. "They like each other, despite the constant fights, chases, theft of food treats…" His grin dropped slightly. "They just don't realise it yet."

"And even if they did, nothing may happen." Jamie put in. "Leena such a volatile person that I'd always expected most men to run screaming after the first time they annoyed her. But Bit just keeps on driving her up the wall. He's childish in so many ways…" He sighed.

Sarah sat back, feeling oddly at home. Despite only being here for a few hours, she already felt that here was the place to be. Even from her brief insights into each person, she could tell that none of them were cold or cruel hearted. Each was just and fair, who would put others before themselves, despite what they may say. Clearly there was rarely a dull moment, which would be godsend. Sarah had had her fill of dull, monotonous days over the last three months. She needed some spice in her life.

"So Jamie, how'd the Ligers modifications go?" Leon asked.

"Well, we've got the new parts installed. Everything went in reasonable cleanly. It's a case now of seeing if the Ligers systems accept or reject the new parts. Bit's convinced the Liger won't reject anything."

"How does he know?" Leena asked. She had changed her clothing back to her usual yellow top and short skirt, and had cleaned up enough to be presentable. As she sat down, Leon glanced at her then nodded towards the corridor. "Dad's okay. He's playing with his models again." Leena told him, looking troubled by something.

"Bit and the Liger were nattering away like anything. Mostly the Liger was, speaking, but Bit got really into their discussion." Jamie didn't let on how much of the conversation he'd overheard or how intelligent he'd realised Bit really was. Certainly the Bit Cloud that nearly everyone saw was little more than skin deep. Beneath that was someone with a lot of brains to match his humanity.

Sarah chuckled as Vega started talking about his talks with the Fury. Yes, moving in with the Blitz Team could be the best idea she had ever heard.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Brad sat there, trying to read the paper he'd found. But compared to that waiting room, the Blitz Team base was like a morgue. People constantly moving to and fro, talking and yelling. Babies cried, while kids screamed and charged about without control.

And everywhere people recognised him. Some just stared, others asked for autographs. Still more wanted their picture taken with the most famous mercenary on Zi. Brad was quickly losing his patience here.

After one particularly bad burst of children rampaging, Brad had had enough. He quickly shouldered his way to the main desk, where the women he'd seen Naomi walk off with had returned.

"Where is she?" He asked roughly.

The women looked up, and understanding filled her eyes.

"Can't take the waiting anymore huh?"

"Nope. The kids are annoying, but all those people fawning over me…" He pulled a face. "…Makes we want to either puke, or blow up that room with my zoid."

"I felt the same way for my first few months. Eventually I got used to it. Sometimes it's worse." Brad's face got even darker.

"Nasty. Look, where is Naomi, 'because I want out of here."

"Hmmm," the woman thought for a second. "Let me check…" She picked up her handset again. Rapidly punching in a number, she sat and waited.

"If their busy we might… Oh hello Pete." She quickly started talking into the phone. "Fine. Listen, remember that nice young lady I brought up…" She nodded. "That's her." Pause. "Oh she is? That's great! She on her way down again?" another pause. Brad's thoughts were spinning rapidly. Why would the receptionist be happy about a positive result from a doctor? "Great. Seems her male friend here…" she winked at him. "…Can't stand the crowd down here any longer." She listened again, before laughing. "No I don't blame him. All right, thanks again for your time." She replaced the receiver before looking up at Brad again.

"She's coming back down now. Should be down here in a couple of minutes."

"Thanks." Brad managed to say, before he drifted back to the main doors. At least here most of the people were mainly leaving the building. Very few stood around the doors.

Within five minutes he spotted Naomi's tall figure striding towards him. As she got close he could see that she was holding a small envelope, and had a mixed expression on her face. When he stepped up to her, he realised she was on the verge of tears.

"Oh Brad…" She gasped before she collapsed into his arms, sobbing.

Brad confused and more than slightly embarrassed gently led her out to where he had parked the jeep. Once there he tried to calm her down. "Na', what is it?"

"It's… Brad, get us home."

"Naomi, what is the matter?" Brad was beginning to get annoyed.

"Just drive." She answered, getting into the passenger seat.

Brad fumed as he drove the jeep away. All the while Naomi sat there, tears in her eyes, staring out over the plains that made up this area of Europa. Brad had to just sit there, unable to figure out what was going on. The result was positive, so she had something, but why had the reception woman been happy? And why was Naomi avoiding answering him?

Finally he had had enough. He quickly pulled off the road and shut the engine off. He turned to her as she realised that they'd stopped.

"Naomi, now listen here. I've done everything you've asked tonight, driving you out to the hospital, sat in a noisy, crowded waiting room while you see some nice doctor, and now you won't even tell me what the hells going on?" She looked at him, her eye's liquid in the moonlight. Almost like they'd been a month ago.

"Oh Brad, how can I tell you…?"

"Tell me what?" Brad thundered. He was rapidly losing his cool.

"I'm…"

"YOU'RE WHAT?" He yelled, grabbing her arms as he did so. "ANSWER ME NAOMI!"

"I... I'm pregnant." She answered in a small voice, her head hanging.

Brad let go of her, every drop of anger gone. He stared at her, but thinking nothing. He was as stunned as he would be if someone had dropped a pile of bricks on his head. "Pregnant?" He repeated.

"Yes." She whispered, falling forward into his arms. He gently held her, unsure how to act.

"Ho… How long?" He was almost dreading the answer.

"Just under a month." She looked up at him, pleading him to understand.

Brads mind exploded in wonder. "That means…"

"Yes, Brad. That night. You're the father. You're the only one who could be."

He sat there, relief coursing though his veins. He had never thought of her to be one to sleep around, but to hear it from her own lips still elated him. Their love was unspoiled by others.

Slowly he began to bring his mind to life again. He and Naomi had conceived a child, without planning to. A new life that was part him, part her. Slowly all the other pieces fell into place. Her morning bathroom runs, her general crankiness. Mood swings and all the other small changes that had come over her. Now that he thought about it, it seemed so bloody obvious that he wondered why no one had thought of it before! But then, they had known her for quite some time now. She had always been in control of her life. To have something like this happen, without meaning to, was so unlike her that it was no wonder they hadn't suspected.

He realised also why she had been reluctant to broach the subject before. She had not been sure before the visit, so she had been covering herself if she'd been wrong. But there was another side to the coin: how would he react? Clearly she had been worried about his reaction to this news, since how he responded would affect all three lives.

Slowly, Brad began to smile. A child. Born of the passion from their first act of love. Such things were written about in stories as the best kind, but they so rarely happened. He thought about how their lives would never be the same again. Here at last was the means to show that he was not the money grubbing mercenary that many thought of him. Here was the chance to live out a dream he had never allowed himself to have: settle down with a fine woman that he loved deeply, and raise a family.

"That conniving bitch."

Naomi looked up again. "Who?" She asked worriedly.

"Sarah. She knew, but couldn't resist dropping hints that I couldn't see." Brad's voice and expression showed however that he felt no ill will. "When she said that she had gone though the same things you had, and later on talked about her past, I should have picked up on the fact that she never mentioned a disease. Just her having a child." He looked down at Naomi's tear streaked face.

"She told you, didn't she?"

"She suspected, and raised the idea. It was her who suggested a trip to the hospital at some point." Naomi shrugged. "I decided that it was for the best to get it done with today." She looked up at him anxiously. "Is this going to change our relationship?"

"Of course it will." She gasped.

"Don't you want me anymore?" She was on the verge of tears again.

"I'm not going anywhere if that's what you mean…" He stated gently. Raising her chin, he looked into her eyes again. "In fact, I think I'll be moving even closer…"

Tears started to flow from her eyes, but they were of joy. "Oh Brad…"

He silenced her with a long, passionate kiss.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Jamie was just laying the table with that night's meal when Brad and Naomi returned. Steve had finally been released from his room, under the promise not to attempt to buy anything with money the team did not have. Soon he, Sarah and Leon got into a friendly banter about zoid consciousness and zoids in general. Bit and Vega compared notes about their respective Ultimate X's, while Leena sat slightly to one side, listening and watching her friends bond. The more she watched and listened to Sarah and Vega, the more she realised that she had been wrong about them. Sarah began to show a side of herself that appeared to amaze even her, while Vega was like a younger, raven haired version of Bit. Even though Jamie apologised for the poor standard of food that was going to be served – answered with groans from Leena and Bit – Sarah had been courteous, and had even offered to help. It turned out she had been living on the food they hated for the last three months. But with less money, she had had to be even more frugal than Jamie.

Now as they gathered round the table, talk turned to Brad and Naomi.

"Wonder what's taking them so long…" Bit muttered aloud as Jamie carried out a tray. Sarah smirked. If she had read both of them right, then those two would be delayed not at the hospital, but on the way home.

At that point they walked in. Cheers went up at their safe return, but were quickly muted. It was clear that Naomi had been crying, and even Brad looked damp around the eyes.

"What's wrong guys?" Bit asked, his concern mirrored by almost all the people around the table. Sarah already knew the answer, while Leon, with his long experience at seeing what was hidden and reading people, could tell the difference between sad tears and tears of joy. His heart leapt when he realised that both Naomi and Brad had small smiles on their faces. What ever it was, it would be a cause for celebration.

"We now know what's been affecting Naomi for the last month…" Brad began. He paused; letting the others imaginations run wild. Leon looked closely at them, thinking hard. They were happy about this disease, which was linked with Brad… Leon's eye's shot open even before Naomi began to speak as he suddenly realised what had been happening.

"I'm pregnant, with Brad's child."

Both her and Brad burst out laughing at the stunned looks on Bit's, Leena's, Jamie's and Steve's faces. Both Bit and Leena sat there, their mouths agape, eyes wide. Jamie had been in the process of dishing himself some rice. Now the spoon hung suspended above his plate, forgotten. Steve was the first to recover.

"Well!" He beamed, standing up. "I guess congratulations are in order here!" He swept them both up into a hug. "Well done!" he whispered in Brad's ear.

"Damn!" Bit exclaimed, his trademark grin returning. "Brad shots and scores! Great work man!" He shock Brad's hand warmly.

Leena saw Sarah standing too, a look of joy in her eye. "You knew, didn't you? Before they said anything?"

Sarah shrugged. "I strongly suspected, given what Naomi told me earlier. Remember," she looked down at Vega, mussing his hair. "I've gone though the whole thing before."

"And I'll need your help when the time comes." Naomi put in. She hugged Sarah warmly. "Thank you for helping me earlier." Sarah could only blush in reply.

The evening meal turned into a celebration dinner. Brad and Naomi sat side-by-side, while the others talked and continued to congratulate them both. Steve looked wistful.

"Will you stay here when the time comes?" he asked.

They both looked at each other. "We haven't really thought that far ahead." Brad answered truthfully. "I suppose so. This team brought us together, so why would we abandon it now?"

"Course, we'll need more room." Naomi put in. "But since the base will need expanding anyway, what with new team members joining…" She glanced across at Sarah and Vega.

"Gladly!" Steve cried happily. "Ah, the sound of little feet running about is one of the best…" He sighed in contentment.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Later on after the meal, Sarah and Vega had to leave. They all felt sad, but Sarah had been told to return to her home within a certain time, so she had to obey.

As their Gustav pulled away, Leon found himself thinking about Sarah a lot. He found her one of the most interesting people he had ever met. Given the way things had turned out, he was very grateful that she had the chance to join the team. He was looking forward to seeing her again…

Conversely, Sarah Obscura found herself thinking about a certain Blade Liger pilot more than any of the others. She had liked what she had seen in them all, and was happy for the expectance couple, but Leon intrigued her the most. So focused was she on him she nearly ran into a large boulder.

"Mom! Watch were your going!"

"Oh! Sorry. I was just thinking about the Blitz. Their nothing like the Backdraft lackeys said they were."

"Yea. They're everything the Backdraft weren't." Vega watched his mother, a slight smile on his lips.

"That Leon was really nice…"

"Yes, he was…" Sarah didn't notice the flush that crept up her face.

Vega smiled happily. He knew his mother had never dated anyone. She had thrown herself into her work and raising him, excluding her own needs. Now that he was grown up, maybe she could finally find her own life, her own happiness.

* * *

**Moonbay: **Ah, lots of nice little romantic moments... (sniffles)

**DR: **Indeed. Till next time!


	16. Rising Stakes

**DR: **Okay, now let's get on with the story. Stick around, you might be surprised...

**Zeke: **Too right!

**DR: **Shadow, since you're up getting popcorn, would you mind hitting the 'Disclaimer' button?

**Shadow: **Sure

**DISCLAIMER: **Dragon-Raptor does not own Zoids, or any characters or units from the show. Original characters are his however. _(Shadow munches on popcorn)_

**Zeke: **Can I have some of that?

**Shadow: **Sure.

* * *

Chapter 16: Rising Stakes

The next morning the Blitz team was mostly up bright and early. Each having their own reasons for being up so rapidly that day. Bit Cloud was psyching himself up for the battle today. It was promising to be a real challenge. Add to that the stakes at hand, and it was enough to fire anyone up!

Leena too was up early, but for different reasons. She had had a troubled night, thoughts about Bit and Harry running though her mind. The nightmare of Bit losing to Harry played out over and over, and Leena was worried. She knew, deep in her heart where she would never admit it, that she was the weakest link in the team. Oh she had her moments, but rarely did she pull off the kind of battle wining stunts that Bit and Brad, hell even Jamie, could pull out of the hat. If the worst came to the worst and Bit lost, she knew the rest of the team would choose to say goodbye to her. The Blitz Team could not afford to lose the Liger Zero. Too much of their success rested on it.

So she had spent a sleepless night, unable to sleep, the dreadful thought of being married to an insane

Harry dominating her.

Jamie was up simply because he set this alarm to this time, as did Leon. Both knew they had to get to the shower early, before Leena could. She had always taken forever. Doc would sleep in for a bit longer, before bouncing up all excited at the prospect of a battle. He was also eager to see if last night's hard work by Bit and the others had paid off.

The only people who were slow to rise were Brad and Naomi. Ever since she and Leon had moved in, Leon had returned to his old room, while she bunked with Brad. Last evenings discovery had forged a new bond between them, and they held onto each other while they made love during the night even tighter.

Brad laid there, his arms round her, her head tucked just below his chin. He knew soon they were going to need a bigger bed, as the one they had at that time was a single only. With two of them it was very cosy. When their child began to show, she'd soon push him out.

He still had trouble believing it. Their child, conceived right in this bed. What ever happened from now on, they were now tied together in a way that few people could.

She gently stirred, before lifting her head to look at him. Her eyes were still red rimmed from last night's tears. Like all the other mornings that she had awoken in his arms her hair was a mess, tangled and interwoven, clumped by sweat from their passion. He thought she looked even more beautiful like that.

"Brad, I wish we could stay here forever…" she began.

"But?"

"I'm hungry." She answered plaintively. Brad smiled down at her.

"So am I…" He gently caressed her under the covers. She smiled back as he lowered his head, and they came together again.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Doc was cramming a second slice of toast in his mouth as he pulled up the latest mail. A couple of death threats against the team from rogue Backdraft members, half a dozen soppy love letters addressed to Bit, couple more each for Brad and Jamie, a heap full of marriage proposals for Leena – from men who had never seen her day-to-day life - and dozens of offers to buy the Liger Zero by various Zoid dealers and collectors. Pretty much a normal days post since they won the Royal Cup. Deleting the junk, he pulled up the only official letter that had come though.

Sure enough, it was from the ZBC, bearing the details of the battle today. Despite the gap in Harry and Bit's ranks, Harry always got his battle requests approved. Steve guessed Harry either had a friend or relative on the board, or he simply used money to lube the gears. When he noted down the location, he saw that the site was the Kampala Crater, one of the strangest geological formations in Europa. It would be like that fight in the ruined city again. Narrow fields of view, sharp bends, blind corners. A game of hide and seek.

After Brad and Naomi joined the others, after her normal bout of morning sickness, they all sat down to consider the battle.

"So Bit, it's going to be rather like that first battle with Harry, in the ruined cityscape." Bit nodded as he recalled that one. Jamie pushed on. "You do have an advantage at close range compared to him, but don't even think about attacking him head on. That extra armour and shield frill will deflect anything you could throw at it."

"Ideally, you should aim to attack from behind." Leon put in around his coffee mug. "He'll have to bring his guns to bear, which will give you a few extra seconds to close the range."

Bit grinned. "I know. Exciting isn't it?" Leena dropped her forehead onto her hand. Bit could never be daunted. She found this trait of his both exhilarating and frustrating in equal measure.

"Say Bit, have you talked to Liger today?" Naomi asked between bites of toast. She was already onto her fourth slice.

"Nope."

"Well, let's go down and see then?" Doc clapped.

Quickly the assembled Blitz team walked down to the hanger. Soon they gathered in front of the Liger while Bit climbed up to inspect each pod externally. From outside the changes since last night were clear. The LRM pods were now white like the rest of the armour, while around the 'Splinters' all the small gaps had been filled with seamless metal. Bit was always amazed at the flawlessness of the Ligers finish. Human intervention sped up the process immensely, but any zoid could self repair almost any damage, given enough time.

Steve looked disappointed. "It looks like you made barely any changes…" He moaned.

"Most of them are internal." Jamie pointed out.

Bit was now sitting in the cockpit, punching up readouts. The systems stated everything was green and good to go. The power levels were about thirty percent higher than normal. No doubt the Liger would take the credit for the extra ten percent over Naomi's estimate. Test firing of all four individual missile pods came back clear, but Bit wanted a second opinion.

"What do you think Liger? All systems go?"

**#Oh yea! Bring him on!# **The Liger bellowed, rattling the hanger.

Bit grinned as he lent out of the cockpit to look down at the others. "He's happy, so let's get this show on the road!"

X-X-X-X-X-X

The view from the edge of the Kampala Crater was breath taking. The basic shape was formed thousands of years ago, when a large comet had crashed into Zi. The resulting crater was almost thirty miles wide, but only half a mile deep at the centre. It lay on a convergence of fault lines, causing a number of earthquakes each year that were sufficient to alter the landscape within. Due to the nature of the faults, chunks of the bedrock had been thrust upwards or dropped down, creating a maze of rocky corridors and potholes. The ZBC would have avoided the area, since the earthquakes were unpredictable. However it was one of the few spots were they could hold ground zoid only battles.

To add to the strangeness of the crater, a central column of rock, thrown up shortly after the impact, had remained the same ever since. Also there was a strip around the broken region of ground were the craters surface was smooth rock, blasted by the heat of impact. The rim was crumbling after all the years, but the crater formed an impressive arena. Its wide range of terrain always supported amazing battles, and nearly all fans tuned in when a battle was held here.

As the Blitz team surveyed the battlefield, Harry's voice came over the radio. "Ah, at last you're here. About time…" He grumbled. Bit's eye's narrowed as he picked out the dark red hull of Harry's Whale King sitting on the far side of the crater.

The Blitz Team had spent all that morning and most of the afternoon looking over the Hover Cargo and loading the Liger Zeros new weapons. Though none of the other zoids would be fighting, Doc had pointed out that it was a good time to work on the Hover Cargo itself. The massive snail like zoid transport was the mobile home of the Blitz team, and was their means to get their zoids to battles. With the team expanding soon, they needed to consider how to adapt it to accommodate more zoids.

With potentially five extra zoids and their pilots to carry, the interior would have to undergo some serious changes. The central drum storage section had enough platforms for six zoids, but that still left three to fit in. And both the Elephander and Berserker Fury posed problems of their own. Each was larger and heavier than most of the other expected zoids. The Elephander in fact weighed more than the Liger Zero in its panzer armour. Fortunately rooms for pilots were not an issue; the Blitz team only used half of the available space. The Hover Cargo had been designed as a mobile base, complete with support staff and a permanent crew.

Studying the Hover Cargos specifications, Leon noted that the central chamber could handle up to eight zoids at once. It would require some major reworking of the pad system, but it could be done. The only doubt was that the space left for each zoid would be quite small, so would the Berserker Fury fit?

Jamie suggested using Genosaurer data as a base, the closest known zoid to the Fury. However the issue was helped when Sarah and Vega arrived later on in the morning. When asked, Sarah told them that she had talked to her minder again earlier. She had explained that she was considering asking to join the Blitz team, which was why she wished to visit again. The minder had cleared her, wishing her all the luck in her request. He clearly thought she was no longer a threat.

Leon asked Vega if he remembered the stats for the Fury, weight, length and so forth. Those that Vega couldn't Sarah did, her powerful memory proving useful again. After a careful check of the diagrams, Leon breathed easily. The Fury would fit. Now it was simply a case of getting the Hover Cargo to a workshop capable of doing the work. The task called for specialist skills and tools that the Blitz simply did not have.

But now the whole team and the Obscuras put those thoughts out of their minds. Vega had wanted to come along to see the battle in person, and Sarah had no objections. Secretly she was more interested in Leon, but she tried not to show it. Vega knew though, which was partly the reason he had asked her about going with the Blitz in the first place.

"Bit here, ready to mobilise the Liger Zero!" Bit cried over the radio as the Hover Cargos delivery ramp lowered into place. Once his pad was locked in place, Bit had the Liger place its front paws on the ramp. Powerful electromagnets alongside the ramp built up their charge.

"Gooo LIGER!" Bit cried as the Liger was catapulted forward, sailing gracefully though the air before landing almost delicately on the sand at the rim of the crater.

On the far side, Harry's Dark Horn ambled down the main access ramp of his Whale King. The ramp trembled with each heavy footfall. The reinforced front legs easily brought the hugely over armoured head up as it cleared the ramp. Harry pulled up in a near mirror image of Bit and the Liger.

"Ah Bit Cloud. I was half expecting you to have pulled out." Harry sneered from within his cockpit.

"Dream on Harry." Bit countered easily. "Add it to your collection."

"Oh Mr Cloud!" A female voice intruded as a new comm window popped up. "I hope you've been taking care of my darling snowflake for me!"

Bit groaned at the sound of Mary Champ. So did Harry and most of the Blitz team. Vega's face fell in pure shock.

"She calls the Liger Zero 'her SNOWFLAKE?'" He spluttered.

In response, the Liger roared loudly. Bit grinned broadly, Vega flushed and Sarah narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, my darlings happy to see me!" Mary cried in excitement. You could almost see the hearts spinning round her head.

"Actually, he was saying were you could shove your 'snowflake' obsession with him." Bit interrupted. "I won't repeat what he said. Young people might be listening…"

"Too late Bit." Vega told him. "Remember, I can understand him too." But he was smiling.

"Opps." Bit grinned back.

"But I have to agree with the Liger." Vega had to say.

"Vega!" Sarah glared at her son.

In the Liger's cockpit Bit could only laugh as both Mary's and Harry's faces grew redder. Mary was, surprisingly, the first to explode.

"Oh, you'll pay for that! Bit you must be teaching him bad habits, not to mention bad words! I'm going to have to house break him!"

"Actually, he's the fouler mouthed one. Knows a few curses that even I can't follow, and would really…"

"All right that's enough!" Harry stormed. "Let's get this over with so I can have my sweet Leena!"

"Harry, you know you have to wait for the Judge…" Mary began.

As if on cue, the Judge capsule rocketed down from orbit, landing with pinpoint precision on the central column of rock. Once fully extracted, the Judge started its battle speech.

"**The surrounding 15 mile radius is now a designated Zoid battlefield. Only contestants and support personal are allowed entrance. Danger!" **After a few seconds scanning the crater the Judge continued. **"Area scanned, battlefield set…"**

"Bit!" Leon yelled.

"Oh, right. Hey Judge!" Bit hailed the Judge.

"**What pilot?"** The Judge was not happy at being interrupted.

"I wish to registers a few modifications to the Basic Liger Zero."

"WHAT?" Harry screamed.

"**Please transmit details of modifications, or have your support personal do so now." **Up in the Hover Cargo Jamie quickly sent the file to the Judge on a sub-channel. The Judge began to review the file.

"You…you can't register changes to your zoid just before a battle!" Harry yelled again. "Judge, I protest this in the strongest possible terms! Bit Cloud has broken the rules, and by default I have won!"

"**Warrior Bit Cloud has broken no rules within my jurisdiction." **The Judge replied calmly. **"All changes to the Liger Zero Basic have been documented and filed. Submission complete and approved." **The Judge returned to where it had left off. **"Area Sc…"**

"Bit, you can not do this!" Harry screeched.

"You heard the Judge, it ruled in my favour." Bit smirked back at Harry. "Nothing you can do about it." Within the Hover Cargo, several of the rest of the Blitz were struggling to contain their amusement.

"Oh really?" Bit was suddenly worried by the twisted look that came to Harry's face. "Oh Judge?"

If it was possible for a droid to look exasperated with no facial features, the Judge did it. **"What, Pilot?"**

"Under challenger's right authorisation, I'm raising the stakes in this battle." Bit felt a coil of dread form in his stomach as Harry continued. "New prize money; One Million credits." A startled hush fell across the Hover Cargo. "If the Blitz team loses, then the Liger Zero, its alternate armours, and Leena Toros would be accepted instead of a monetary transaction."

"Oh brilliant move little brother, though do you have to include that tramp of a girl too?" Mary applauded her brother.

"Mary, you can teach her to be respectful." Harry answered her, an evil glint in his eye. "I'll make sure that she'll be… receptive to your suggestions."

"**Deliberating… deliberating… deliberating… Increase in Prize Money amount and conditions… Approved."**

Vega felt like throwing up, and most of the others were not much better. Leena was trembling out of fear. Now Bit had to win: there was no margin for error. Leon wrapped an arm round her in comfort, but she hardly felt it.

Bit to was trembling, but not from fear. "Harry, you've gone too far this time!"

"Well, as I was going to have to challenge you again within a couple of days for the Liger, I might as well raise the stakes and take everything all at once."

"**Will there be anymore interruptions?"** The Judge asked forcefully. When no one answered, it resumed in its normal tone.

"**Area scanned, Battlefield set up! Bit Cloud Vs Harry Champ, Battle mode 0992. Ready… FIGHT!"

* * *

**

**Shadow: **Harry's gone and done it now...

**Zeke: **Oh yeah!


	17. Champ Vs Champion

**DR: **Time for Bit to kick Harry's ass!

**Shadow: **good. Now, less talk, more action!

* * *

Chapter 17: Champ Vs Champion

At the Judges signal, both zoids leapt into action. The Liger Zero sprung forward, landing gracefully within the Crater. Knowing that their best chance for success lay within the rocky maze in the centre of the Crater, the Liger charged forward at full speed.

Harry's Dark Horn was much less graceful, sliding as much as running down the Crater rim. The huge amount of armour gave Harry a lot of forward protection, but it did build up a lot of momentum, and that dragged the zoid forward. Harry would have preferred an open field fight, where his zoid would have been supreme. But here was fine. As long as he stayed…

Suddenly his missile lock warning system blared out. Harry's eye snapped open at the sight of four missiles curving over the Judge right for him.

"Long range missiles!" He quickly slapped the control panels. The Dark Horns custom shield formed, and the zoid lost a lot of forward motion. It continued to slide forward as the missiles plummeted down.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Pierce was in the process of filling out her forms for registration at the ZBC head office when she heard someone yell from nearby.

"Hey guys, look at this!" Other voices drifted across.

"Oh, that's going to hurt!"

"Don't be so sure. Harry Champ's really tooled up that Dark Horn…"

Pierce, intrigued, sat up and looked across at the far wall. Like in many bars and restaurants, the lounge in the ZBC building had one wall dedicated to showing zoid battles. Most of the time it showed small screens at each set of tables, showing what the people there wished. The main screen was usually used to display rankings in each Class, or for important battles like the Royal Cup. But when there was only one battle like today it seemed, the whole screen was fixed on it.

As she looked, a set of explosions bracketed the head of a Dark Horn. The zoid barely twitched. As the smoke cleared the zoid continued to slide down the hill, barely a scratch on its armoured head.

"Damn, Bit's got his work cut out…"

'_Did he say Bit?'_ Quickly pulling up the small screen fitted to all the tables, Pierce called for battle detail. Sure enough, the contestants were none other than Bit Cloud and Harry Champ. Folding the small screen away, Pierce turned in her seat to watch the battle unfold.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Down in the Dark Horn Harry was enraged. "You really thought that puny attack could stop the man de…"

"'Destined to be King.' Yea Harry, we know." Bit grinned. "We've all heard it a hundred times already." He winked. "One has to start wondering if you're trying to compensate for something…"

Harry felt his blood boil, and he lashed out with the pulse launchers. His aim was nowhere near as good as he had intended, as the Liger simply ran right though the barrage without a scratch.

"Damn Harry, your aims worse than Leena's!"

Up in the Hover Cargo, Leena's eye's narrowed.

Harry screamed again as he fired his entire arsenal. But the Liger was nowhere near where the barrage landed. Firing the ion boosters, the white zoid dashed within the rocky formations.

Harry slowed his zoid up, unwilling to enter such a cramped area. His zoid was an open country combatant, not a street fighter. He needed Bit to come out of the rocks.

"Oh, so you are too chicken to face me on open ground, so now you're hiding in the rockery!" He taunted.

"Not at all," Bit answered calmly as he adjusted the setting on his LRMs. "It's just the quickest way to get to you." Bit was allowing the Liger to pilot now, since he couldn't fully concentrate on manoeuvring at such high speeds. It was credit to the Ligers systems and skill that he barely felt the motion. Finishing his changes, Bit cranked the missile pods up before unleashing another two missiles.

Harry watched with some alarm as two more missiles roared out of the rocks, but relaxed as they continued on a ballistic course. "Now your aims off Bit!" He taunted. "Those missiles will never hit anything…" movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention.

Both missiles had tightened their arc and were now falling towards him! "What? How are they tracking me?" He screeched as he tried to swing the Dark Horn around and raised the shield.

He only partly managed it.

Both missiles had been set to home in on any electronic broadcast, such as radio communications, while studiously ignoring the Judge. When Harry had taunted Bit, the missiles had something to lock onto. Raising the energy shield leaked a huge amount of EM static, painting the Dark Horn with one big target.

One missile struck the shield, detonating without doing any harm. The second slipped by and hit further back, right in front of the left rear leg. The single missile didn't have the punch to break though the armour, but the blast knocked the zoid about and buckled the armour itself.

While recovering, Harry caught a flash of white from his right. The Liger had emerged! But even as Harry swung round to engage, the Ligers shock cannons fired before the zoid leapt back into the rocks. Both shells struck the weaker rear armour. Fortunately shock cannons were most effective at close range. The armour held again, but was buckled enough that it would marginally affect the zoids motion.

"Bit, you're going to have to get closer." Jamie called. "At that range the shock cannons don't have the strength to penetrate even the normal armour."

"Relax Jamie, will ya?" Bit smirked back. "I know what I'm doing."

The Liger dived out of the rocks again, but almost immediately leapt back in as Harry rattled off several dozen rounds from the Vulcan cannons. A couple winged the Liger, but the rest torn up the rock face.

"Too slow Harry!" Bit taunted, as the Liger flashed past Harry's line of sight within the rocks. Roaring with rage, Harry began to liberally spray fire down several rocky alleys, hopping to catch the Liger out. He stopped firing when the Liger appeared on top of one of the rocky up thrusts. Bit fired the shock cannons again, but this time both shells struck the Dark Horns massively armoured head, barely damaging it. The Liger leapt away again before Harry could respond.

Harry was quickly losing what little control he had. "Bit, come out here and fight!" He cried.

"Why should I?" Bit asked, leaning back in his chair. He knew Harry could see him, so he pulled out his biggest, cockiest grin. "I don't have to come out. Sooner or later, that overloaded block of metal will fail, simply because it can't handle that weight. The longer this fight goes on, the better it is for me."

Harry felt a trickle of sweat run down his spine. Bit was right. The Dark Horn may be almost untouchable head on, but all that weight of armour was a big problem. Despite the extra reinforcement he'd had added to the fore legs, the zoid could only hold its head up for so long. After each battle Harry had let it rest on a specially built cradle.

Harry needed to win quickly, otherwise his zoid would simply collapse, or the head could snap off. He had to drive Bit out of there!

"Bit, you're a coward! Hiding amongst the rocks!"

Bit raised an eyebrow. "How am I a coward? I launch attacks… like this!" The Liger appeared to Harry's left. The shock cannon fired again before it dived back amongst the rocks. Within the Dark Horns cockpit, Harry felt the impacts shaking his zoid. That had been much closer. Alarms warned that the left armour was cracked.

"It's simple battle tactics Harry. In fact, one could say I'm laying a challenge at your feet now…"

"WHAT?" Harry roared again.

"Simple. Are you willing to enter these rocks after me? Or are you too chicken?" Bit cocked an eyebrow. "What's the matter Harry, you claustrophobic or something?"

"I'll show you Bit!" Harry bellowed as he lurched the Dark Horn into the rocks.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Pierce smirked as Harry dived into the rocky region after Bit Cloud. As long as Harry had stood outside the central area, Bit would never have gotten close enough to defeat him. Harry's zoid was a pure open country zoid, and would have pummelled the Liger to bits on an open plain. But in the tight, twisty confines of those canyons and ledges, Bit's Liger Zero was the more powerful combatant. The Dark Horn might have had a huge ranged advantage and very heavy frontal armour, but the Liger was faster, more agile and lethal at close range.

Pierce was also enjoying another chance at watching Bit and the Liger in action. During their few battles, she hadn't had the time to marvel at the way the two worked together. The living grace of the Ligers moves. It truly was the greatest example that zoids were alive, not a connection of metal parts.

And the level of skill and daring that those two produced! They reacted to events so fast it seemed as if they knew seconds ahead what was going to happen. As the dance progressed though the rocks, the battle became a torturous game of cat and mouse. And it was clear who the cat was.

Harry however was not making it easy for Bit. He either stayed away from all the walls in the widest routes, or hugged one wall and inched along. Bit would dive out of some cross route, or from above, but almost every time Harry managed to bring his zoids head to bear to block Bit's shots, or forced the Liger to jump again before it could shoot. The few shots that landed on the Dark Horns body cracked the armour, but never quite managed to penetrate.

But if Bit was having little luck in downing his opponent, Harry was barely scratching his. None of his linked pulse blasts, powerful enough to send the Liger sprawling, were on target. They made nice holes in the surrounding rocks though. He had more success with the linked Vulcans, but they needed to stay on target to do any significant harm, and the Liger always got away before they could. It had been raked a few times, but very little harm had been inflicted.

Still, Harry was able to set the pace for the battle. With such a solid zoid, he could afford a few hits, and Bit had to work around him. The rocky formations were getting denser, with fewer routes though the maze, dead ends interspersed between them. If Harry managed to corner Bit in one of those, it would be like shooting fish in a barrel, with a shotgun.

The gathered crowd watched spell bound as the battle pushed onwards. Even Pierce found herself desperately hoping Bit would win. She overheard several members of the audience place wagers with each other, nothing more serious than a round of drinks, or dinner, that sort of thing.

As she watched, the situation she dreaded formed. Harry was in a section with only three spars in addition to the central route, one of which was clearly a dead end from above. The Liger approached along the lone channel on Harry's right.

"Come on Bit. Don't take the right route. What ever you do don't go right…" She whispered to herself.

It was another classic attack. The Liger leapt clear of the walls, landing gracefully behind the Dark Horn. Harry began to swing his guns round to bear. The Ligers shock cannon fired, sending a pair of armour cracking shells into the saurian zoids rump. It then danced away, ahead of the rotating guns, firing its ion boosters to leap with grace…

…Right into the dead end.

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Oh hell!" Bit cried as he saw the rock wall rushing at him. The Liger cut the boosters and planted its paws, carving deep furrows in the loose gravel and underlying rock. It skidded to a stop sideways, just shy of the end.

"Phew, that was too close." Bit mopped his brow. He could have reached out of the cockpit and picked up a souvenir, without having to stand up.

As the Liger turned to double back, Bit's face fell. He'd been hoping that Harry would have missed which canyon he'd gone down, but there was his Dark Horn, filling the end of the canyon. Its green eyes blazed out from under the heavy brow armour, and the weapons on its back were trained dead centre.

Up in the Hover Cargo, shock and horror permeated everyone. They all could see since a remote camera was sitting on the edge of the canyon at the mouth, beaming its images to the Judge, and so out to the world. The Liger Zero stood with its back to the wall, roaring in defiance as the Dark Horn slowly ambled down towards it. They all knew that there was nothing that Bit could do. He couldn't hurt the Dark Horn from that facing, and there was no room to evade the return fire.

Leena couldn't watch, and she buried her head in Leon's chest. Vega was close to tears, and Naomi clung to Brad, wishing that what she was seeing wasn't true.

Harry gloated as he brought up his zoids shield. At last he had the great Liger Zero trapped! There was no way the Great Champion Bit Cloud could get out of this!

It was only just in time though. Harry could feel his zoid struggling to respond now. The battle had lasted almost too long. If he wanted to get the Dark Horn back to its cradle before it fell flat, he had to finish Bit off quickly.

Never the less, he had to call Bit to gloat. "Well Bit, how's it feel to be pinned like the worm you are?" Harry laughed manically.

Bit didn't respond: he was too busy trying to think of a way out of this. "Liger, any ideas?" he asked hopefully. The Liger had vastly more experience than he did; maybe it knew a trick or two.

The main display blanked, before it threw up a simple line schematic of the canyon they were in. A ledge part way up the right side blinked red.

Bit looked up and out. There it was, a crumbling ledge, barely large enough to support a Gunsniper. "Liger, we can't stand on that!"

Liger roared in response, and Bit's troubled look vanished into a grin. Up in the Hover Cargo both Sarah and Vega looked up, hope beginning to return.

"Did you catch what it said Vega?" she asked. "I only got that it is confident of victory!" The others turned to look at them.

"No," Vega said shaking his head. "It was too fuzzy and distant. He's got a plan, and it involves the mini-missiles…"

"Of course!" Leon yelped, stunning Leena who still had her head buried in his chest. "Bit hasn't used them yet, and without any external clues to their existence…" Hope flooded back into the Blitz.

"Prepare to lose Bit," Harry taunted. "To a man destined to…"

"Be soundly thrashed Harry!" Bit shouted back. "NOW LIGER!"

Harry, indeed nearly everyone watching the match, was stunned when both cheeks of the Liger belched fire. Dozens of tiny exhaust plumes traced the paths of the swarm of micro-missiles launched. Each tiny warhead had a very simple emission-seeking tip. Any EM output within their field of view would draw them in. With the Dark Horns shield up, it was like a nova on the EM bands.

Harry screamed in surprise as dozens of small explosions went off all around him, rattling him around despite the zoids dampeners and flooding his view with smoke. When the detonations stopped, he glanced at his displays while the smoke dissipated. No harm done except cosmetic.

"That the best you can summon Bit? That was so…"

"HARRY!" Mary screamed. "Look out! UP!"

He did the only thing he could. He looked.

The Liger Zero sailed over the top of his shield frill, the left front claws glowing, hanging down almost to touch the shields edge. Further back the edge of the rocky ledge the Liger had noted crumbled from the force the Liger had used to push off from it.

"STRIKE LASER CLAW!"

The claws sliced right along the Dark Horn, from upper shoulder to lower hip. The left Vulcan cannon was sheared right off, and the armour plating was torn to shreds. Worse, the left rear leg suffered heavy damage at the hip joint, the claws digging deep and tearing huge chunks out of the actuators. The Liger in fact shut the claws down early, and used its purchase on the Dark Horn to spin around. Now their situations were reversed, except the Dark Horn was facing the wrong way.

Despite the hideous damaged inflicted to it, the Dark Horn didn't keel over. Bit's claws had not penetrated enough for the command system to freeze the zoid to prevent fatal damage.

Harry worked his controls, desperate to turn around, but he forgot two things.

One, the shield drew power from the zoids actuators, slowing it and making it very sluggish to turn. Two, the left rear leg was dragging, hindering the turn. Harry began to swing the guns round, but it was too late.

"Let's finish this!" Bit cried. The Liger roared in agreement as a new attack flashed up on the main screen. Planting its feet, both sets of cheek laser generators powered up, spreading a gold glow around the canyon. "ALPHA STRIKE!"

To Harry, looking over his shoulder at the Liger, it was like looking into a volcano. All three ranged weapons on the Liger, the shock cannons, the long-ranged missiles, and the micro-missiles, fired at once. The micro-missiles were charged up with laser energy from the generators behind them, creating two shafts of gold linking both zoids.

The shock cannon shells hit first, shattering the remaining armour on the Dark Horn into fragments: they were at point-blank range, and the force delivered was incredible. The micro-missiles struck next, tearing into the zoids body and sending chunks of armour and zoid flying. The laser charge they carried super heated the metal alloys of the Dark Horn, allowing incoming missiles to punch even deeper.

Lastly the long-range missiles hit. Although intended for distant combat, they could still be used at close range. They simply lacked the fine guidance systems needed for close range missile fights. At point blank range though, they couldn't miss.

The powerful rocket motors pushed each missile deep within the Dark Horn before they detonated. Flame blasted out the right flank and stored ammo for the Vulcans cooked off, shredding the interior of the zoid. The left hind leg was blown completely off.

The Dark Horn was thrown several meters by the shock cannons, before being jolted several more by the missile impacts, before it finally fell to the ground on its flank, a shattered hulk. The Ligers attack had torn the guts out of it, spreading the parts across the rocky ground.

After a moments silence, the Judge sounded his claxon.

'**The Battle is over! The Battle is over! The winner is… Bit Cloud and the Liger Zero!"**

In the Hover Cargo, everyone was wild with cheers, Leena the most vocal. Tears streamed down her face, but she didn't notice.

All around the planet, people cheered and let off whoops of joy at the declaration.

Pierce sat back in her chair, amazed at the flood of emotions that raced though her veins. That fight may have been under the ZBC's rules, but it had more excitement than she had ever seen in any battle she had fought with the Backdraft! If all their battles were a tenth as thrilling as that one had been, Pierce would be in high heaven!

In a distant corner of Europa, a man sat back in his seat, having watched the battle. "I have one thing to say about that last attack. Ouch."

His reddish-brunette haired companion nodded in agreement, while across from them the other couple - one with dark brown slowly greying haired, the other a very pale, almost silvery blond - were smiling with pride.

Down on the battlefield, Bit was the only being not cheering. He was staring at the wreckage that had been Harry's Dark Horn.

"Umm Liger, we'd best save that for desperate circumstances…"

**#Agreed# **Even the Liger sounded awed by the destructive potential it had unleashed.

"Ah, we didn't kill it did we?" _'Please, say we didn't…'_ Bit prayed. The Liger took its time to answer.

**#No. The Core is undamaged#** The Liger was as relieved as Bit. **#It will fight again another day#**

"Thank god!" Bit heaved a sigh of relief. Then as he turned the Liger away from the remains of Harry's zoid and began to head back to the rest of the team, he perked up. "Say, we won! That means…"

**#One million credits# **the Liger stated empathically. #**Enough money to get the Blitz team out of debt, fully restock all our ammo needs, and remodel both the Hover Cargo and the base to handle a larger team# **The Liger rounded up. **#There may be enough to get the Fury up again…# **A note of excitement was in Ligers voice.

"You are looking forward to fighting alongside him then?" Bit asked cheerfully as the Liger powered out of the canyons and up the rim towards the Hover Cargo.

**#Oh yes!#** The Liger roared out in triumph.

* * *

**Shadow: **Oh yea, take that chump!

**DR: **Hope that states all your battle lusts for now...


	18. Changed Minds

**DR: **Okay in these next three chapters we are going into some very dark places. Harry's going right off the deep end here (if he hasn't already), and we're going to touch on an (unfortunately) common problem of today... Alcohol Abuse. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

**Zeke: **And we have our first Bit/Leena moment!

**DR:** That too (grins)

* * *

Chapter 18: Changed minds

When Bit rejoined his team in the Hover Cargo, he was given a hero's welcome. Tears of joy were on many of the faces gathered, and even the usually stoic Brad cracked a smile. Leon and Doc patted him on the back, Vega was almost bouncing off the ceiling with excitement, and both Naomi and Sarah were ecstatic in a muted, feminine way.

But the greatest surprise was when Leena charged across the room to grip him in a bear hug.

"You did it Bit! YOU WON!" She screamed out in joy. "When you got boxed in like that, we all thought…" she couldn't continue.

"Hey, don't… sweat it!" Bit managed to say, struggling to draw breath with Leena gripping him so tightly. She loosened her grip slightly, looking into his eyes.

"Oh Bit…" she whispered gently, before pulling his head forward for a kiss.

Bit was so stunned, he could barely think, let alone move! All he could think about was how her lips felt on his, how her well curved female body fitted so snugly against him. He had thought realising that he had won had produced a high, but this feeling completely blew it out of the water! He retained enough sense of mind to wrap his own arms round her, while his ears went deaf to the world outside.

Not that there was much to hear. Jamie was staring, his jaw hanging. Scenes of Leena charging after Bit with any number of blunt, metal objects in her hands and a look of pure rage on her face ran though his mind. How could there be such a turn around like this?

Steve Toros looked on with a mixture of joy and grief. Joy that at last his darling little girl – though she would never have liked such a description of herself – had finally found her man. But there was the grief that always came from a father who was about to lose his daughter. At least they'd remain with him. As long as there was a Blitz team, neither were going anywhere.

Brad and Naomi sat together, arms round each other. They felt joy that someone else had finally found the happy place they had. Naomi had been secretly worried about Leena for some time. The girl really needed a calm centre in her life. Now while Bit's lifestyle was anything but calm, if this meant what she thought it meant, then the two of them could help balance the other.

Brad simply wondered if Bit would last to the honeymoon. He'd seen it all, their entire past, and he wasn't romantic enough as to start expecting any long-term relationships. Leena was a volatile one; he hoped Bit had fireproof underwear. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the main communication screen flicker on, but he paid it no mind.

Vega was grinning and flushing. He knew that there were a lot of young girls out there who would be devastated by this news. But he now saw how well those two fitted together; he doubted that Leena – or Bit, for that matter – would ever find someone better.

Sarah sighed. She'd seen the mutual attraction the instant she had watched them interact. The way they bickered like little kids, teased each other, it was so clearly a cover for deeper feeling to her that she was amazed others couldn't see it.

Leon glanced at her. "You okay?"

"Just glad they finally stopped bickering and brought their true feelings out from under the covers."

He grinned. "No kidding. I liked him almost the second I laid eyes on him. And after all this time, I know he's the one for my little sister." He turned to face the couple, still locked mouth-to-mouth. "Though I had hoped that this had happened a long time ago."

Slowly the pair separated to breath. As Bit looked into her eyes, he saw disbelief enter them, then a mixture of shock and horror. _'Oh oh…'_

Leena quickly composed herself, despite feeling that her blood was singing and her heart was dancing the waltz. "That was for the victory. And this…" She narrowed her eyes as Bit grinned, though he kept a wary look in his eyes.

Smiling sweetly, she slapped him across the face. His head snapped round while the others winced at the blow. A large red handprint began to form.

"…Is for the comment about my aim at the start!" She thundered, a taste of the angry side of her personality showing. Turning on her heel, she stormed out. Bit could only look at the others with a mixture of shock, pain and puzzlement.

"What… did she mean that throwaway remark to Harry about his aim?" He asked, massaging his jaw.

Leon slowly nodded. Sarah sighed again, while Jamie dropped his head into his hands.

"Damn."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Mary Champ slowly picked her way towards Harry. Not that the battle was over, she and his two robot assistants could move in and reclaim the damaged zoid. Or rather sweep it's constitute parts up.

Her wonderful Snowflake had torn Harry's poor zoid to pieces! She had to get it away from Bit. His terrible personality was rubbing off on it!

Moving up to the zoids head, she saw that the cockpit was open. Looking round, she quickly spotted her brother. He was sitting on a rock, his back to his zoid, staring at the spot where the Liger Zero had stood when he had it trapped.

Mary sighed. She knew he wasn't going to take this well. In fact he never took loss to Bit Cloud well. Harry's servants had not elaborated, but it seemed every time he lost he retreated into his cabin – and refused to come out for at least a day.

Slowly she walked up behind him. "You okay Harry sweetie?"

He didn't respond, so she slowly reached a hand out to his shoulder…

"Don't touch me!" He growled so threateningly she jumped back.

"Harry?" she stammered. He had never spoken like that to her before.

"I had him…" He half muttered, half growled. "I had him in the palm of my hand, no possible way he could have escaped! And he still slipped though my grasp!" He violently kicked a stone away.

"Harry, brooding never solved anything…" she began.

"On the contrary, 'big' sister," Harry finally turned to face her, and she found herself taking another involuntary step back. He had a really black look on his face, one that even their father on his worse day wouldn't wear.

"Brooding solves almost anything." He roughly pushed past her as he walked towards the Whale King. He paused before the fallen zoid.

"Stupid bloody thing!" He screamed before kicking it hard. Mary ran over, worried that he might have broken his foot doing that, but he moved off without limping or showing any sigh of pain.

"Leave it!" He yelled to his servants. Both looked up.

"**Sir?"** Asked Benjamin.

"Leave the useless heap of junk!" He stalked off. Mary quickly moved across to the robots.

"Continue gathering it up." She whispered. "I'll try to talk some sense into Harry…"

"**Good luck."** Sebastian called, his tone clearly showing that he severely doubted that she would have any success.

Up in the Whale King, Harry called up the mail the computer informed him was in. As expected, it was a notice to him to transfer the prize money to the Blitz team account. _'Best get this over with… before I get plastered_…' he thought. He flicked the main communication screen over and hailed the Blitz's Hover Cargo. Such an antiqued rust bucket! And so small! No team worth its salt should use one of…

His thoughts came to a sudden halt as he saw what was being displayed before him. In addition to the Blitz team he already knew, there were four more people there. Leon he knew from previous encounters, and the woman sitting besides Brad had to be Naomi. The Blitz clearly had the Fluegel team round.

The other two he knew only from news reports. '_Vega AND Sarah Obscura, with the Blitz Team!' _Had the great Blitz team fallen so low as to start recruiting from the remains of the Backdraft? How could they trust Sarah Obscura, after all she had done to the ZBC!

All this came secondary however to the sight that occupied them all however. Leena was KISSING Bit! And they had their arms round each other! Harry felt his blood boil over, but he couldn't say anything. He was rooted to the spot. He _knew_ Leena felt nothing for Bit, didn't he?

They were soul mates, and no one came between them!

Harry staggered away, desperate for the only thing that helped…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Mary stepped though into the control room, just in time to hear Bit's question over the still active comm.

"What… did she mean that throwaway remark to Harry about his aim?"

Mary quickly rushed over to the console.

"Damn." Bit's voice filtered through.

"Hello?" She called though. The Blitz Team jumped at her voice. "Did anyone see Harry?"

"Harry?" Bit asked in confusion. Why was there a bright red handprint on his face? "Not since the battle. Why?"

"Well, I just found the comm open between us." She replied. Her tone carried her worry. "But he's not here…"

"Oh shit." Brad breathed. At the looks from the other pilots, his face became apologetic. "I noticed the comm screen light up, but I didn't realise that a connection was made."

"When was this?" Leon asked urgently.

Brad waved his hand at Bit. "They were in the middle of…" He flushed red. So did most of the Blitz.

"Oh shit indeed." Leon breathed.

"What? What happened?" Mary asked, as she noticed that Leena was not amongst the gathered pilots.

"Bit and Leena, were…" Leon stammered.

"Celebrating his victory." Doc put in diplomatically. Mary gasped.

"And Harry must have…" She couldn't finish. Leon nodded slowly. _'Oh no…'_ She thought.

"Listen, I'll get your prize money transferred. I suggest you get away from here." She rushed her speech. "Harry's not… himself."

"Right." Leon answered. "We'll be off. Don't take too long about that transfer please."

"I'll see to it tonight." She reassured him.

"Okay. Good luck with Harry." Leon signed off.

Mary quickly shot up and raced for the cabins. Somehow she knew she was going to need all the luck she could get.

X-X-X-X-X-X

As she stormed off deeper into the Hover Cargo, Leena felt tears run down her face, but made no effort to stop them. _'Why did I do that?'_ She asked herself. _'Why?'_

She threw herself onto her cot, burying her head in her pillow. She was frustrated. She hated being frustrated. She was frustrated at her anger, which always reared up at the worst possible moment, and she could never control. Usually she could work that anger out by hitting whatever it was that angered her. Except this time she couldn't since she was angry at herself.

And she was also embarrassed. Kissing Bit in front of everyone! That was the worst possible thing she could have done! She hated him, didn't she? He stole her cookies, joked about her aim, and kept on barging in when it was _her _turn to use the bathroom!

And yet, when she had kissed him, it had been like a thousand fireworks going off at once! She had never felt so, warm, before in her life! She had begun to burn with a heat that she had never experienced before! Worse, she didn't want it to stop! She had wanted to stay in his arms for all eternity!

When she had looked into his eyes when they parted, she had seen that he was blown away by the kiss too. She had felt so safe and secure in his arms that she didn't care that he teased her or…

And then she had remembered his comment to Harry. Then she had remembered the fact that the others were watching. At that point, Leena had wished for a hole to appear in the deck and swallow her whole. So she had reacted the only way she knew. She struck out at the one who fired her blood in so many ways she couldn't name them all! The feelings he created in her… they were confusing and contradictory! So she had fled, her face burning with shame.

'_How does he do it?'_ She asked herself again. _'Why does he make me feel the way I do?'_

In her grief, Leena never noticed the subtle shifting as the Hover Cargo turned and raced away from the Kampala Crater.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Mary Champ rapped on Harry's cabin door. "Harry, will you please open up!" She yelled.

She had finally tracked him down to his cabin. Unfortunately, he had locked the door, from the inside. So far, he had proved unresponsive to her pleas to open the door.

"Harry, will you open the door?" Silence. "Don't make me come in there after you…"

Faintly, she heard Harry's reply. "Just you try it…"

"Fine!" Mary thundered. She quickly tapped in her own override code. The door quickly slid open. "All right Harry Champ," She began as she strode through into his cabin. "You should know better than to…" She trailed off as she took in the scene.

Harry sat on the end of the cot, his shirt off and lying on the bed, discarded. His bare chest rippled with barely controlled tension, and his free hand gripped the sheets so tightly that she was surprised that he hadn't drawn blood yet. His face wore that same black look from before.

But what was worse was the item in his right hand. A small glass, filled with a pale amber liquid. An open bottle containing more sat on the small table besides him. It had a crude label plastered on it.

"Where did you…" she raised a hand to point a trembling finger at the whiskey bottle. "…Get that?"

Harry's face broke into a cruel grin. "Where do you think sis? Dad's onboard supply, but only the good stuff…" He threw the contents of his glass back in one go before grabbing the bottle and pouring himself another shot.

"You mean… Nicholas's Whiskey?" She whispered.

"And once again, Mary Champ scores the 'Bloody Obvious' Prize!" Harry raised his glass in mock salute.

"Harry…" Mary was truly worried now: their ancestor Nicholas's whiskey was a controlled substance around the globe. It had an alcohol rating of almost ninety percent proof, and it seemed that something in the distillation process caused male brains to revert to more primitive instincts. Certainly people who drank Nicholas Champ's Whiskey tended to become more violent… much more. "…How much have you had already?"

Harry made a show of looking at the level of whiskey in the bottle. "'Bout half of this bottle." He slurred. He knocked back the drink he was holding. "Plus the first…"

"YOU'VE DRUNK OVER A FULL BOTTLE OF THAT WHISKEY?" Mary screeched in fright.

"Yea…" Harry slurred again, frowning. He got up and walked drunkenly over to her. He stood before her, swaying slightly.

"Sis?"

"Yes?" she whispered.

She never saw it coming. One second she was standing before him, the next she was falling to the fall. Pain blossomed in her cheek.

"DON"T YOU EVER RAISE YOUR VOICE TO ME AGAIN!" Harry screamed.

She could only look up from the floor, tears running down her face, at the monster that had been her younger brother.

* * *

**Irvine: **(gulp) I don't want to be anywhere near him now...

**Zeke: **Me neither! (hides under table)

**DR: **Now you see why I don't drink...

**Shadow: **So what now?

**DR: **Find out next time... oh, and just in case you haven't realised yet, Harry has gone insane.


	19. Skulking in the Dark

* * *

Chapter 19: Skulking in the dark

Once the Blitz Team returned to base, they began to fragment. Sarah and Vega were returning home, while Naomi still had a few things left at her home to collect. Brad offered to help her, mainly so that he could be with her, away from the tension that had descended onto the Blitz Team.

Jamie and Doc took the Hover Cargo out to town. The prize money had been transferred en-route, and the last couple of days had proved that the Blitz Team could not afford their debts any more. Jamie had the account codes, and Steve knew which banks they owed money to. Also he knew the dealership where he had got the Hover Cargo in the beginning. He was sure that they would be more than able to do the required work on it. Leon went along to ensure his dad didn't blow the money on useless parts…

…Leaving just Bit and Leena alone in the base. On the return trip she had not emerged once from her cabin, and the rest of the team was worried. Most of them had guessed that her sudden display of emotion had deeply embarrassed her, but no one knew how to deal with this situation.

Steve had decided that the best thing would be to force her to confront her feelings head on, which was why he had arranged things to leave her and Bit alone together. Hopefully, by the time they all got back, the pair of them would be in each other's arms again. He desperately wanted his daughter, who looked so much more like her mother with each passing day that it tugged his heart, to be happy. But as Jamie plotted the Hover Cargos course, he couldn't help but wonder if he had made a terrible mistake…

As the three groups departed, none of them noticed a tiny silhouette in the distance, the shape of a Whale King, growing larger as it approached the base…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Leena watched them all head out on their errands. How perfectly timed this was! Here she was unsure of her emotional state, and off they all go, abandoning her with the very source of her unrest! It was almost enough to make her scream! But all she could do was allow her tears to run down her face.

Bit stood off to one side. He was almost as emotionally confused as her. He had always liked Leena, even when she was chasing after him. To see her like this…

He stepped up closer to her. "You okay?" He asked gently.

"NO I'm not!" She whirled on him, glaring daggers. "How do you think I feel?"

"Well, I…" Bit stammered.

"Leave me alone!" She screamed before storming into the hanger. Bit whirled and followed.

"Leena, wait!" He called after her. She stopped at the base entrance, but didn't turn around. "I'm sorry about my comment about your aim…" he began.

"Just leave me alone." She half-muttered before heading into the base. Bit stood there, just in front of the Liger, his arm outstretched.

**#Leave her for now Bit# **The Liger rumbled from above. **#She needs time to think#**

Bit looked up at the Liger. "How do you know?" He asked brusquely.

**#I've seen this pattern before# **The Liger was not affected by Bit's tone.** #She needs to sort out her own emotions. But when she turns to you, go gently#**

Bit slumped against the Ligers paw. "How can I when I don't even know how I set her off?"

The Liger lowered its head till its chin was almost touching the floor. **#Listen carefully#** it gently growled. **#She may put forward her tough image, but underneath she's a very delicate person. Self conscious, self critical, always doubting herself. All her life, she's been compared to her mother, to others, but never truly appreciated for who she is. When you tease her, she feels threatened, and like anybody else lashes out#**

Bit sighed. "And how can I help her then?"

**#Just respect her for who she is# **The Liger paused. **#Maybe more…#**

"Huh?" Bit whirled round to look the Liger in the eye. "Just what are you implying Liger?" But the Liger didn't respond. Instead it just straightened its back and stood proud and defiant again.

"Liger!"

**#Would you mind checking my damage please? It'll give you something to think about#**

Bit gave in. He'd get nothing from the Liger until he'd given the damage taken during the battle a once over.

Fortunately it was relatively minor. Since Harry had only managed to rake them with his Vulcans, most of the harm was cosmetic. Furrows and small dents were the norm, though a few rounds had punched though. A couple were still buried in the metal work, and proved extremely stubborn to remove.

It didn't help that Bit's mind was not fully focused on the job at hand. Instead he kept on running the Liger's comments though his head. Just what had the Liger been implying?

Slowly his mind began to think back to just before the season started, and the thoughts from then filtered though to join the others mixing up in his head. He had to admit; he _did_ feel something more for Leena than respect. Affection seemed too mundane. Compassion didn't fit, so what did?

He paused, his mind jumping back to the kiss they had shared. Even the simply memory of that fired his blood and enticed him to dance on the moon! He had never felt so elated or satisfied in his life. It was greater than the thrill of battle, which he loved more than…

He staggered back, before falling to the floor. The rag he'd been using fell besides him unnoticed. His jaw hung and his backside ached, but Bit barely felt these things.

Love…

Now that he had that word, everything fell into place. The affection he felt for Leena, his concern for her survival. The way he always stepped forward when Harry had come round to smother her. His rage at Harry's latest ploy…

…And the way she fired his blood by simply standing there. Sometimes he could have watched her for hours, so divine was her figure. Her intelligence shone through in subtle ways. She never boasted about her skills, but she did take pride in them.

And the way she had fired his blood that night! That dress must have been made for her, so well did it show off her splendid body! Bit doubted that any other woman could have worn such a dress so well.

He was in love with Leena Toros!

Bit was truly stunned as his revelation. So stunned, he didn't hear the faint sound of a Whale King landing nearby. The Liger cocked his head, but had no way of knowing who it was…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Mary Champ sat sobbing. How could her little brother turn out to be such a monster when he got drunk?

After he had slapped her down, he had gone on about how she had always been watching over him, constantly nudging him in directions he didn't want to go! Even after he thought he had escaped to the world of zoid piloting and ZBC battles, she had followed!

He was sick of her telling him want to do, where to go and anything else he could think of! His life had been always compared to hers, and every time he had come up wanting, and it was all her fault!

He had ranted on about it was time he decided what happened in his life, not her! How it was time she listened to him for change! That she should do want he said, rather than the other way round!

At that point, he had dragged her off the floor, and then began to shake her, as if the physical motion of shaking her about could somehow get what he was saying into her head. When her shirt had ripped from the shaking, she had slipped and fallen onto his cot. Harry, to far gone into his alcoholic world to care, had sat astride her and continued to shake her, his fingers digging deep into her upper arms. Desperate to escape his mounting anger, she had flailed about. Her free hand had landed on the now empty bottle besides them. Fearing it was her last chance she let him have it on the back of his head.

The bottle hadn't broken, but it did achieve the desired effect. With Harry stunned senseless, she had managed to roll him off her before racing out of the cabin.

He quickly came after her, but she hid in the one place she knew he would never look: the cockpit of his fallen Dark Horn. She had managed to dog the canopy shut just in time: his angry footsteps had resounded throughout the hanger. As he had raged and charged about, Mary had been unable to prevent herself from breaking down and crying.

Now she sat there in the dark, the only light that which filtered though the semi-transparent green zoid eyes. After a while, Harry had left, and she had felt the Whale King lift off. Hoping that he was returning home, she had resigned herself to wait here until then. There was no way he would be still awake by then.

But now she felt the Whale King landing again. It was too early for them to have returned home, so where were they? Just as she was about to open the canopy for a look, she heard Harry's footsteps approach. Crouching down, Mary listened as they stalked past. If he found her now, there was nothing she could do. All her reserves of strength were gone.

He didn't force open the Dark Horns cockpit. Instead he stopped nearby. Listening carefully, Mary soon heard as the main ramp opened. As it lowered, she caught Harry's muttering.

"No one takes my girl. No one." He was still clearly drunk, but also deadly serious.

With a clang, the ramp reached its lowered position. As Harry stomped down it, Mary began to wonder where they were. Realising that she would never know unless she looked for herself, she began to force the canopy open. Once there was a gap large enough for her to squeeze though she did, not caring that a strip of cloth from her torn shirt was caught as she did so. Running to the ramp, Mary looked out of the Whale Kings 'mouth', her torn clothing billowing in the breeze. What she saw made her knees go weak, and she had to grip one of the upper 'teeth' to remain upright.

'_Oh no. Dear god Harry no…'_

Ahead Harry continued to stride a wavy course towards the Blitz base.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Leena lay on her bunk, not caring at all about how long she had. After their, brief, argument in the hanger, she had run in here and flung herself onto her bunk. For the second time that day Leena Toros cried into her pillow.

Now she lay there, trying to make sense of her emotions. Leena had always known her own state of mind, at least until a certain Bit Cloud had dropped in. He was at once the most frustrating and the most intriguing man she had ever met. There was no one else who even came close to him. He was brave, handsome, caring, incredibly talented and generous with his help. But he was also childish and lazy, not to mention that he didn't respect her for whom she was! Only Vega was anywhere his equal, and he was too young…

She sat up suddenly._ 'Why on Zi am I thinking that thought about Vega?'_ This shock and train of thought gave Leena a sudden glimpse into her heart, and what she saw terrified her.

Her heart was attracted to Bit. Physically, mentally and any other way you could think of!

Leena wrapped her arms round her legs. This couldn't be! She was not in love with Bit Cloud! The guy was a jerk! Why else would he keep on forgetting the bathroom timetable and walk in on her?

'_He never walks in on any of the others…'_ The thought crept into her head. _'So why only me?'_

The answer seemed obvious: she was the only female around!

But… he never tried to sneak in: he came barging in like a bull in a china shop…

But… he always coved his eyes when he realised. Not once had he peeked…

And then was the cookie thing. He constantly nicked her cookies, but lately he seemed be not trying to get away… And then he _returned _her celebratory chocolate cake, untouched!

'_Could he have feelings for me…?'_

Slowly she stood up. She couldn't go on like this: one way or another, this had to be sorted out soon. She realised that she had to confront Bit now, and hash everything out…

While she pulled herself together, she distantly heard the sound of breaking glass…

After taking a few moments to make herself more presentable, she turned to leave her room. But as she opened the door, she stopped dead. Her jaw fell and her eyes shot open.

Harry Champ, with a lecherous grin on his face, stood outside her door.

"Harry?" She gasped.

"Ah, my darrrling Leeenna…" Harry slurred. She suddenly noticed that he was reeking of alcohol. "Come, let us leave this den of lies and de…de…" He frowned; he couldn't think of the word he meant to say.

"Harry, I'm not going with you. This is my home." She frowned back. "And you're drunk to high heaven!"

Harry's face contorted into a black look, and Leena took an involuntary half step back. "Wrong! Your home is in my bed!" He snarled as he grabbed her wrist.

Leena responded the way she knew best. She used her free right hand to smack him in the face, just like that other drunken guy at the ball.

This time however Harry did not fall. He rocked back, but remained standing. The alcohol clearly numbed his brain. He grinned evilly again, before he slapped her back, hard.

"I like a little fight in my woman…" he crooned.

Leena was both shocked at the tone of his voice and the fact that he had slapped her, and it was the last straw. After a full day of emotional highs and lows, confronting Harry in a dark and cruel mood broke her.

Leena screamed.

* * *

**DR: **Some of you have commented that Leena is not acting herself. Let me just explain something. It's the end of a long day where she has gone from one emotional extreme to another. Her heart's in a mess as she wars with herself. She is now faced by a drunken Harry, who has HIT her. This is something that, as far as I know, _no one has ever done. _But don't worry, there will be a happy ending for this… 


	20. Taking Action

Chapter 20: Taking Action

Bit was shaken out of his thoughts by the Ligers growl. **#Bit, someone has arrived…#**

Shaking himself, Bit quickly climbed down the Ligers body. "Where?" he asked as he dropped the last couple of meters to the floor.

**#Outside, in a Whale King#**

Bit stepped outside, and was stunned at what he saw. '_That's Harry's Whale King!'_

As he watched, a white shape ran down the transport zoids mouth ramp and headed towards him. Sensing that urgency was in order, Bit began to run towards the oncoming person. It was only as he closed that he could recognise her.

"Mary Champ!" As he slowed down, he noticed the torn nature of her clothing. She was holding her shirt closed, but one shoulder was still bare, and her legs flashed though the tear that ran right up her skirt. "What happened?"

She slowed to a stop, gasping for breath. "Harry, he's gone insane! He started into our supply of Nicholas's whiskey…" She shuddered, unable to elaborate.

Bit was stunned. The Champs 'special' Whiskey was both a legend and the Champs families' mark of shame. It was a drink with one hell of a kick, but it had severe side effects. No establishment was allowed to sell it legally, but if one knew where to ask, you could get one glasses worth, for quite a price. No one was allowed more than one.

It was known as Champs Whiskey simply because it had been an eccentric member of the Champ family who had built the still that produced the 'special' stuff. He had later added to it and built a full-scale distillery, and it had become one of the Champ family's most basic sources of income.

After he died, the distillery had passed down the lines, always perceived as an unwanted family heirloom, but they couldn't knock it down. The distillery had saved the Champ family from bankruptcy at least once. The distillery mainly produced normal whiskeys now, but it was rumoured that the original still was still working, producing more of the 'Hell blasting good stuff', as the inventor had described it.

The Champ family were allowed to keep a small stockpile of the stuff, for celebrations and the like. But to drink it to drown your sorrows…

"H… how much did he drink?" Bit was almost afraid of the answer.

"At least two bottles…" Mary sobbed.

'_Over two bottles!' _That should have put Harry out cold! Worse, it could kill him!

The wind picked up, and was threatening to send the remains of her clothing flying away. Bit quickly shucked off his jacket and threw it round her shoulders. As she accepted, her shirt parted. Bit adverted his eyes, but not before he caught sight of a large amount of creamy flesh, marked with clear fresh bruises. Her face was also marked.

"He did that?" Mary simply nodded. Bit felt sick to his stomach.

Mary's eyes flew open as she remembered why she had run across. "Bit, is Leena around?"

"Yea, she and I are the only ones here…" Bit trailed off as he caught the look in her eyes. Cold dread and raging fury filled Bit's soul with fire and ice.

Without a word, Bit turned and raced back to the hanger, Mary Champ right behind him. They tore past the zoids in their ranks, Mary not even bothering to stop and stare at the Liger. The Liger recoiled when it saw Mary wearing Bit's jacket, but when it saw the cloth of her own clothes trailing from underneath, worry began to coil around it's core. **_…Oh shit…_**

Tearing into the main base, they paused as they heard Leena scream. With murder in his eyes, Bit charged down the sleeping corridor. He found Harry dragging a terrified Leena down the hall. When Harry caught sight of Bit, he scowled.

"Drat! When ever I get this close to having Leena, YOU show up!" Harry let go of Leena - who simply collapsed to the floor - and advanced on Bit, who stood his ground despite feeling the cold tingle of dread run down his spine. "Well, this time you won't stop me Bit! I'm taking my Leena with me, this instant!"

"Harry, don't do this…" Mary pleaded from over Bit's shoulder. Harry's eyes struggled to focus on his sister.

"Ah, I see you crawled out of your little hiding place! And what's that you're wearing? BIT'S JACKET?" Harry looked shocked. Then he scowled and began to advance on them both.

Bit's left hook stopped him cold. In fact it snapped Harry's head to the side. But he slowly turned back towards Bit.

"So, the commoner dares strike a king eh?" And with that Harry began to swing back.

At first Bit tried to put in return blows, but nothing seemed to affect Harry and his blows were fuelled by more then strength. Harry's blood was up; he had alcohol singing in his veins and an uncontrollable rage in his heart. All Bit could do was to concentrate on blocking and hope Harry would tire.

Suddenly Bit felt a hard mass slam into his stomach. Keeling over, he dropped over Harry's leg. Coughing badly, he had no chance against Harry's next strike, which knocked him over and into the wall. Struggling though the pain in his head, Bit watched as Harry brought a foot back.

"Harry! NO!"

Mary launched herself at him, trying to bring him down herself. But she had no chance. Within a few seconds she too was knocked sprawling. Harry leered at her, before turning a triumphant smirk on Bit. He drew a foot back again, before smashing it into Bits chest. There was a crack and a lance of pain shot though Bit. Definitely a cracked rib there, he managed to think.

"Say good night, arrogant little man!" Harry taunted as he brought his foot back.

Bit didn't say anything, he could only watch as a shape rose up behind Harry's head. It swung down fast, and smashed into tiny pieces. Harry's face lost its raged expression, replaced by a look of confusion. Then his eyes rolled up into his head and he fell forwards onto the floor with a loud 'thunk', between Bit and Mary.

Behind where Harry had stood, Leena held onto the remaining part of the vase she had hit him with. Tears ran down her face, running across the blaring red handprint on her cheek.

"Thanks for the… assist." Bit croaked. That rib was really beginning to hurt like hell.

Leena dropped the vase neck before going down herself, and crawled to him. He welcomed her into her arms, guiding her so that she was under his arm and not lying on his damaged side. Leena cried into his neck like a baby, her body raked with sobs. Bit pulled her closer, gently stroking her head with his hand.

Across from them, Mary managed to sit up and take stock. Harry was finally out cold, and Leena appeared unharmed. She slowly got to her feet, her own share of aches and injuries making themselves known.

"I'll get Harry's servants to come and get him…" She whispered. Her eyes were filled with tears of shame. "He won't come back again. Not once our father hears of this!"

"Just go." Bit told her. Mary nodded, and then slowly limped away. She'd badly twisted her leg when she fell.

Bit turned his attention to Leena, who was still crying. "Shhh, it's all right." He tried to reassure her. "Harry's out cold. There's nothing to worry about. It's all right…" Bit carried on with similar themes for some time.

Harry's robot servants quickly arrived, Benjamin carrying Bit's jacket. Wordlessly he handed it to Bit before working with Sebastian to drag their boss away. Bit draped his jacket across Leena, who seemed to find reassurance in his touch. At least she had stopped crying.

"Thank you Bit…" She whispered.

"For what?" Bit asked gently. Slowly Leena tilted her head up to look him in the eye.

"For standing up to him. And for… this" She hugged him a bit more tightly, causing a spike of pain from his cracked rib.

"Ack! Ease off a bit there…"

Leena pulled back, letting him breath easily again. "Sorry…" She whispered.

"It's okay, as long as you're okay…" Was all he said before drawing her into a gentle kiss.

Leena's eyes closed in contentment. No, she was more than content; she was in paradise! She returned the kiss with a passion, gripping his head in one hand fiercely, refusing to let go until the need for air demanded it.

As they caught their breaths, Bit's face creased into his trademark grin. He had been hoping for a repeat of that, ever since they shared that kiss back just after the battle. Who would have thought it would come this soon!

"Bit… don't ever leave me…" She whispered as she snuggled into him again.

"I won't."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Jamie, Steve and Leon drove back to the base. Although it had taken very little time to clear the teams' debts, the work on the Hover Cargo was going to take at least the whole night. Luckily, they had a spare jeep tucked away in the huge transport, so they didn't have to find a place to stay overnight.

As they rattled along, Steve thought more and more about his daughter and Bit. Surely they could not keep dancing round each other forever? The mutual attraction was there, it just had not yet been condensed down into love. Remembering his own experiences, he was determined to ensure that this chance of happiness did not slip though their fingers!

Leon was dozing in the back, but his thoughts were not about his sister, but rather a certain dark blue haired lady…

So intent on their thoughts, Jamie had to yell twice before they responded. "Huh?"

"Does that Whale King look familiar to you Doc?" Jamie asked a quaver in his voice.

"What Whale…" Steve trailed off as he saw the great flying transport zoid sitting outside their base, its jaw hanging open from the block shaped head. It was painted a deep red, the main colour of the Champ Corporation. But above the triangular green eye there was a logo…

"That's Harry's Whale King!" Leon gasped. Dread began to pool in Steve's stomach. Jamie's lips compressed as he pushed the throttle harder.

As they roared closer, they made out the form of Harry's two robot servants dragging something. A body. Clearly they heard the on coming jeep, since they dropped the person's arms before splitting up. One raced up the Whale King's ramp while the other moved out to intercept them.

As they closed, Jamie eased off the throttle until the jeep eased to a stop. The robot - a simple stack of disk that tapered towards the top and bottom - pulled up besides them.

"What happened?" Steve asked in worry.

"**Oh nothing much, just a drunk Harry decided to make off with Miss Toros!"** The robot, Benjamin, held his head in his hands. **"Harry's plastered out of his mind! He always hits the hard stuff when he loses to Mr Cloud."**

"'Hard Stuff'? You don't mean…"

"Nicholas Champ's Whiskey" Mary Champ answered for Benjamin. She had walked over from the Whale King to explain to Leena's shocked father what had happened. "Go help Sebastian, Benjamin."

"**Yes Ma'am!"**

"And don't forget to tie him down!" She called after the robot as he sped over to his partner. Both Steve and Jamie noticed shreds of cloth hanging out from underneath the sheet Mary had wrapped herself in. Her hair was tangled and a bright red mark was flaring on her cheek.

"He hurt you… his own sister?" Steve felt sick at the idea of such a monster getting his hands on his daughter. Leon's face contorted in anger at the very idea of some one striking their own sister.

"I made the mistake of confronting him when he had drunk almost two full bottles…" Mary shrugged, unknowingly allowing the sheet to slide off her shoulder a bit. It didn't fall completely, but it was enough to show that her clothing was ruined, and display the ugly bruise marks on her upper arm and shoulder. Both clearly told of what Harry had been doing. "I managed to escape his clutches, but he decided to come after Leena…"

"How is she?" Steve could barely ask the question.

"Last I saw, she's all right, if a little shaken by everything." Mary answered tiredly. Steve sagged into his seat. Leena was okay, that was all that mattered.

"What about Bit?" Jamie asked. The safety of their star pilot was a valid concern.

"He's going to be sore for a while. He took the brunt of Harry's blows." Mary got an odd look on her face. "But somehow I don't think he'll mind the pain…"

"Huh? Why?" Leon pressed.

"Why don't you see for yourselves?" Mary looked over her shoulder at the Whale King as Benjamin and Sebastian dragged Harry inside. "Look, I've got to go. Harry needs to have his head examined, and not just for a skull fracture…" Steve wondered why she said that. "…But also because some things gone seriously wrong in there. Besides, my father's going to need to hear about this." She sighed in exhaustion.

Suddenly that small fact that had been buzzing Leon's mind returned in full. He had read reports about some of the soldiers who had been exposed to charged particle beams. Many of those who had escaped a direct hit had slowly gone insane, as the charged particles had damaged their brains, affecting their judgement and morals. It was one of the two reasons charged particle weaponry was banned from Zoid Battles. On someone who was already crazy like Harry…

Mary pressed on, her face weary. "I'm sure he'll send something as compensation. He may be harsh, but he is fair. At the very least I severely doubt Harry will ever bother you or Leena again." And with that she turned and began to walk back to the Whale King, limping slightly.

As the transports engines turned over, the three men looked at each other, before Jamie put the jeep back in gear and drove it all the way inside the hanger. Tools lay around the Liger, clearly showing that Bit had been working on it when everything had happened.

Slowly they made their way into the base. Seeing nothing amiss in the central area, they stepped into the sleeping corridor. And it was there they found Leena and Bit, locked together in each other's arms, her head nestled into his neck. The shattered remains of a vase lay just beyond them.

Grinning with pride, Leon slowly crouched besides the couple while Jamie went to look for a broom his face flushed bright red. Steve walked beyond them towards the vase shards. He picked up largest fragment of the vase.

"I guess it was you Leena who used this?" He asked in good nature. Leena and Bit snapped round to look at him. They both visibly relaxed when they saw that it was only Steve and Leon.

"Yea Doc, it was." Bit answered. "Dropped it right on his head. Got him before he could give me a face full of his boot."

Leon grinned at his little sister's handiwork. "Nice one!" He noticed the discoloration on her cheek. A discolouration that was familiar. "He slapped you?"

Leena nodded. "Yes, but I'm safe now." She snuggled even closer to Bit, but paused when he winced.

"Oh my god! I forgot he got a kick in!" She gasped before wiggling free of his arms, despite obvious reluctance. Once clear she and Leon pulled Bit to his feet. As they headed for the small medical chamber, Leon looked between the two. Leena's eyes showed clear signs of recent heavy crying, and the cloth around Bit's neck was soaked.

'_The attack by Harry must have affected her badly…'_ He thought.

Steve watched them go, before looking down at the fragment of vase he held. Shaking his head, he let it fall to the floor. It shattered into several smaller pieces.

"Never liked that thing anyway…" He laughed before following his children...

* * *

**Irvine**: (From under table) is he gone?

**DR**: Harry? Yep. Down and out.

**Irvine**: Thank god (Crawls out from under table followed by Zeke)

**DR**: Well, that's Harry out of the picture, though you do have to feel a little sorry for him. After all, it's not all his fault that he was driven insane... (Hears strange sounds coming from behind sofa)

**Leena**: Oh Bit...

**DR: **Please you two, do that somewhere else! (Bit & Leena get up and run out of room in each others arms...) Anyway, till next... (Sound of breaking china. DR drops his head into his hands) Not in the kitchen!


	21. Reparations & Recruitment

**DR:**Well, that's Harry out of the picture... (Harry Champ walks in)

**Harry: **NO! I REFUSE TO BE SEPERATED FROM MY LEENA!

**DR: **Oh will you just... (Waves writers wand(tm). Harry vanishes)

**Leena: **Oh thank you! I never want to set eyes on him again!

**Bit: **Me neither. (cuddles Leena)

**DR: **(rolls eyes) shouldn't you two get back into the story?

**Bit: **Oh, right. (Bit and Leena leave)

**DR: **Now, let us continue in the aftermath of Harry's rage.

**Zeke: **This is good! (munches on a twix)

**Shadow: **where did you get that?

**DISCLAIMER: **Dragon-Raptor does not own zoids or Earthseige 2. Just making sure you know that...

* * *

Chapter 21: Reparations & Recruitment

After a quick examination with the bases own medical equipment, it was decided that Bit should see a real doctor. Calling one out was not a problem, so within an hour a professional arrived. After taking a close look at Bit, and the results provided by the bases medical computer, he prescribed his treatment.

"Well, your lucky here Mr Cloud. You've got two cracked ribs, but they didn't snap completely. Given a couple of weeks they should be as good as new. You're going to have to take it easy though; that would hinder the healing process. So I strongly recommend no zoid battling for at least a week, if not two." He had been apologetic about that, but also firm. Bit took the recommendation in good graces. After all, Vega was going to join the team; he could cover for Bit easily. The doctor was paid generously for his time and feeling grateful, he also checked Leena for free. But the only thing of note was the slap she received; the bruise would fade within a day or so. It would sting for a few more hours, but that would fade rapidly.

So the next day, armed with a prescription of painkillers, Bit it took easy. Leena remained at his side, the unhurt one, throughout. The rapid and extreme changes brought over them both the previous day had thrown them both into confusion, and made them both realise how much they cared for each other. Brad and Naomi returned that day after spending the previous evening packing up the last of her stuff while finalising the last stages of selling her old home, and were full of questions about this sudden arrangement. The last time they saw Bit and Leena together was when she slapped him across the face, and when they left the previous day Leena seemed to go out of her way to avoid Bit. So they had to be told the full story of yesterday's events, Bit relating the parts of Mary Champs story that he knew while Leena filled in the part where she had met Harry inside. Both of them were shocked and disgusted at Harry's actions and full of applause for Bit and Leena. Both Bit and Leena however kept to themselves their thoughts before the incident, neither really willing to expose them selves just yet. Bit in particular did not want to scare Leena away by telling her that he loved her. After Harry's actions, she would not take it well.

Secretly Naomi had been hoping that something like this would happen, to drive the two together. But she had not wanted either of them to get hurt. She had come to regard all those of the Blitz Team – even Leena – as extended family. Having more contact with the Blitz had shown her that Leena was not all bad. Sure she had a fiery temper, but underneath that was a good person.

Something that got everyone's attention was a dispatch sent to them – by courier no less, not electronic - from the Champ Corporation. Inside was a formal hand-written letter of apology from the head of the company - Bernard Champ, Harry's father. He was profusely sorry for the behaviour of his son, and made several gestures of compensation. He would pay not only for the replacement of the window Harry had broken, but also any medical fees incurred. And for the emotional distraught, almost a quarter million credits, paid for by selling Harry's zoids and team equipment. The 'Champ Team' was dead. Brad commented that clearly Bernard Champ had quite an ironic streak, as that money would most likely be spent improving the Blitz teams zoids and base.

Lastly, he gave his word that his worthless and wayward son would never again threaten Leena or the Blitz team again. Mr Champ clearly felt shame that it had been his son that had caused all the trouble. And he was determined to set things right.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Stigma Stoller sat in the bar again, slightly before the time he'd arranged with the others. This time, knowing that they were expecting a large group, he'd sat down in the middle of the largest corner booth he could find. With enough space for a dozen people, it should serve their purposes very well. A few other patrons gave him black looks for hogging such a large table, but he had explained to the barkeep why he needed such a space. They had been more than happy to let him stay there.

Sipping at his cider, Stigma continued to mull over everything he'd dug up over the last three days. After he had left the bar, he'd headed straight for the closest public records office. Several hours later, he'd still been there, pouring over everything he could find on the history of Class S, its teams, and the Blitz Teams recent record. In fact he had to return the next day as soon as the office opened, so embroiled into digging up the history of Class S was he, and learning more about its roots.

Bit hadn't been lying when he'd said that they hadn't been doing so well. In fact he had understated it. While it had been gratifying to see him lose, Stoller had been deeply impressed too. Even in the fights when the Blitz had lost, they had given a strong, stirring fight to the very end.

The other teams were also deeply impressive. _'Thank god the Count didn't send us up against those teams…'_ He thought. These teams took the rules to the limit, as the Burning Rain team had demonstrated against the Blitz. While they never crossed the lines like the Backdraft had, they did blur the edges a little. Had the Backdrafts regular pilots tried to fight them, they would have been cut apart in seconds, even with their fancy toys and underhanded tactics.

It was now common knowledge that the calibre of the Backdraft pilots had been grossly over rated. Most were either failed warriors who couldn't make any form of progress within the ZBC ladder, or loose cannons, gang members and thugs. Very few had any real talent, and even fewer had the brains to use that tiny amount of skill they did have.

There were exceptions, such as himself, Pierce, Vega and the Fuma team, but they were the elite. Polta had never been good enough to be ranked up there with them on merit alone. He had help from above. The Fuma team, last Stroller had heard, was currently under house arrest, and had to arrange any trip with the local security forces. Fortunately for Fuma herself, her mother who had been one of the Committee members was allowed to stay with her. All the other committee members were either in jail along with the bulk of the Backdraft, or dead at their own hands. The only one unaccounted for was the Count himself. The only other ranking Backdraft member still free was Altiel, who had disappeared somehow.

Diving into the history of Class S, Stigma had not expected his blood to begin to quicken at the thought of competing against such warriors. Class S was, supposedly, set up to be the pinnacle of zoid piloting by none other that the great hero Van Flyheight, shortly before his retirement from the Guardian Force and public life in general. Such warriors would serve as the core of a new Guardian Force, the elite of the elite, had another great evil arisen to threaten all civilization.

Certainly Van had played a major part in the establishment of the ZBC's predecessor, basing the idea off a brief point in his early adventures. Although it was clear that he hadn't been the core driving force behind it, his efforts and support for the idea had gather a lot of support for the cause. The military forces of both the Empire and Republic could see the advantage of having their troops constantly train in such gladiatorial combat, and so the bulk of the initial set of teams were made up from military units. But rapidly independent teams flocked to the cause, people drawn to the new idea. It provided an outlet for the violent nature of mankind, without spilling over to harm others. The number of bandit groups and rogues dropped almost fifty percent overnight, until a bandit group was almost unheard of.

Stigma's biggest mystery was 'who' the figure most responsible for the creation of the initial ZBC had been. After it had been formed in its current establishment, he had been stated as being the first chairman, but there was no record of his name or anything. Records stated that fire had destroyed those records long after his death, when no-one living could recall the name anyway. But the mystery continued to circle Stigma's mind.

His thoughts snapped back to the present when he spotted Vega and Sarah enter the bar, quickly followed by the expanded Blitz team. After the introductions and greetings, he noticed that Bit was being rather careful about how he walked, and Leena Toros seemed to be hanging around him.

"Something wrong Cloud?"

Bit winced. "I guess you know about the battle I had with Harry Champ?"

Stoller nodded, his face not displaying a whisper of emotion. It was true that there were rumours flying around all over the place, ever since the surprising announcement that the 'Champ Team' was being shut down, its zoids and equipment being sold off at auction. It almost, but not quite, overshadowed the retirement of Harry Champ from zoid battling, and the darker rumour that he had been committed to a mental hospital.

"Well, afterwards, Harry hit the alcohol, and then…" Bit grimaced. "…He decided to settle things outside the battle."

"Ah. How bad?"

"Couple of cracked ribs on my part." Bit grinned, glancing at Leena. "Large vase over the head for him. Plus whatever Nic Champs Whiskey did." Leena smiled, a blush riding up her face.

At that point a male bartender walked over. "Sirs, may I take your orders?" He asked politely, a friendly smile on his plain face.

The gathered pilots fired off their requests, just as the last member of their group turned up.

"Pierce!" Sarah called, happy to see the younger woman stride in. Leon noticed that she had a bounce in her step, and was almost bubbling over with happiness.

"Good to see you Sarah."

After placing her order with the barkeep, she sat down along with the rest.

"So, how did it go?" Bit asked excitedly.

"Well…" Pierce drawled, before grinning broadly. "You were right. I smoked all their tests. I have my ranking: A+ Class pilot."

"Great news!"

"How tough were the tests?" Jamie asked. Pierce glanced at him, turned away, and then preformed a hilarious double take. She stared at him as though she'd seen a ghost.

"Pierce?" Sarah asked, worried.

"Your… you were the one flying that Raynos last time we fought?" Pierce extended one trembling finger at Jamie. He could only hang his head.

"Sort of…" he muttered.

"Jamie undergoes a weird personality change when ever he breaks the sound barrier." Leena put in.

"Just like you do when someone steals your sweets…" Leon teased his sister.

"Leon!" she shot back, but did not move from Bit's side where she was entirely comfortable

Pierce shook her head. This was defiantly something she was going to have to explore deeper at some point.

"Well, the flying tests weren't that hard. The combat sim was more of a challenge, since I had to fight progressively harder waves of opponents." She shrugged. "I managed to make my way to third on the list."

"Nice work!" Bit commented.

"Who was ahead of you?" Brad asked.

"Some chap calling himself 'The Wild Eagle' came second. Had almost twice the score I got..." Pierce noted the sharp intakes of breath from the Blitz team. Jamie went even redder and seemed to be trying to sink though his seat.

"What?"

"Jamie, you never told us you went thought those sims!" Leena cried.

Jamie shook his head. "I never did…"

Steve looked thoughtful. "…But Oscar did." He finished for the young lad.

Jamie nodded. Pierce noticed how cute he was when flushed red.

"Your dad…" Bit breathed. At Pierces puzzled look, Steve filled her in.

"Oscar Hemeros was the first generation of the 'Wild Eagle'" He nodded towards Jamie. "Jamie's his son."

"The second generation?" Pierce guessed.

"Sort of. It's his alternate personality."

Pierce sat back, trying to work things all out. Stoller chuckled to himself while the same barkeep brought them all their drinks.

"Well," he began once the barkeep had moved on. "Looks like working with you is going to be interesting, at the least."

Leon looked up intrigued. "You planning on taking up our offer?"

"Why not?" Stoller shrugged. "I'm not getting anywhere on my own."

Pierce nodded in agreement. "I'm certainly in."

Bit grinned, and then turned to Vega. "Do I even need to ask you two?"

Vega grinned right back, while Sarah smiled. "What do you think?"

"Remember the ZBC still has to approve…" Jamie pointed out.

"Well, assuming they do…" Leon raised his glass. As one, all the others did so to. "…Welcome to the Blitz Team!" he toasted.

Unknown to them all, the polite barkeep had heard everything, and now made his way to the bar. Quickly exchanging a few words with the bartender there, he quickly slipped out the back.

X-X-X-X-X-X

In the bar's office, the barkeep sat down at the videophone. He quickly punched in a rarely used code. After several seconds, the line went though. The screen remained blank.

"Hi. Sorry, you've called when I'm not around. But if you'd like to me a message, I'll get back you as soon as I can." A cheerfully recorded female voice played, before a tone sounded. The barkeep lowered his head closer to the microphone.

"Code: Romeo, Bee Kay, five, zero-two." He whispered. At the other end of the line, a special program had been installed that listened for such a code phrase. Once the code was verified, it quickly hung up the line at that end, and redirected the call to a hidden server.

The screen shifted and flickered, before bringing up a simple 'Please Hold' message.

After a several seconds, the screen flickered again and the face of a youthful man with deep, wisdom filled eyes appeared on the screen. Over his shoulder a very pale skinned woman with startling red hair stood.

"Report Tony." It was always amazing that he could remember his name.

"I think you should know sir. The Blitz team are going to ask the ZBC if they can hire a set of extra people very soon, perhaps even today. The persons in question are… well, distrusted."

The man's face grew serious. "Who are we talking about here?"

"Stigma Stoller, Pierce, and Vega Obscura. Also Sarah Obscura." Tony stated.

"Stoller, Pierce, and both the Obscuras…" the man seemed to be muttering to himself. He then looked up at Tony, a slight smile on his face. "Good work there. I'm glad you brought this to my attention. Show them all every respect you can. And keep up the good work."

"Thank you sir." The man nodded as he signed off.

Tony quickly made his way back the bar area, a warm glow from being appreciated in his heart.

X-X-X-X-X-X

At the other end of the line, the man began to punch in a call code of his own. "Could you see that Tony gets a reward for his quick thinking?" He asked the lady behind him.

"Sure." She stated in a cool, confident voice. Leaning over, she quickly recognised the code he'd punched in. "You're calling the ZBC Chairman direct?" She asked, one dark red eyebrow rising over her large, slightly slanted eye.

He shrugged. "Fastest way to get the result I want." He quickly turned his head to give her a quick kiss. "Tell the others I'll be out soon."

"Okay, just don't take too long. Those two are going to eat all the meat if you let them." They both knew whom she was referring to.

He grinned back. "Save some for me then."

On the screen before him, the system asked for his access code before he could proceed. Punching his code in, he couldn't help chuckling as he thought about the reaction that the people on the other end of the line would have…

In the ZBC headquarters, the communication operator tasked the system to check the code that had come from this unknown source. He didn't recognise it, and he knew nearly them all. _'Must be some really obscure or newly added code…'_

He nearly fell out of his seat when the system shot back the verification. It was one of the oldest codes in the system, ranked higher in importance than many disasters. This one superseded even the President of the Helic Republic and the Emperor of Guylos! It was marked as being for the current ZBC Chairman's eyes only.

The man sat back while he waited. He knew this Chairman quite well: they'd spent quite an amount of time together lately. Quickly he was patched though. The Chairman sat up straighter when he saw who had called.

"Sir! This is unexpected!"

"Hello to you too you old rascal." The man grinned briefly, and then turned serious. "I'm afraid this is more than a social call though."

The Chairman quickly got down to business. "Really?"

The man nodded. "I'm sure that you know about the recent fortunes of the Blitz Team?"

"Aye. They've been putting up good fights, but their struggling something fierce." The Chairman nodded. "Though that last fight between Bit Cloud and Harry Champ," the chairman grinned. "Glorious." The other man grinned with him.

"Well, I've just been informed about how they are planning to reverse their recent losing streak."

"Really? How? The Blitz Team, I mean." The Chairman knew better than to ask about how he got his information.

"Their planning to hire some new warriors, in addition to the Fluegel team members who joined a few days ago."

"Don't see why that's so important…"

"Their ex-Backdraft warriors."

The Chairman's eyes boggled. "You're serious?"

"About the Blitz? Always."

The Chairman visibly swallowed. "Well, I see." He paused. "Who are we talking about here?"

"Stigma Stoller. He's already a registered pilot in Class A." The Chairman nodded. "Pierce, who just came third in the flyer zoid tests." The Chairman raised an eyebrow at that. He had only just the results, so how could his caller have known them?

"That it?" He dared ask.

The man sighed. "No. They also want Vega and Sarah Obscura. And of course the Fury." He sat back and waited for the explosion.

The Chairman did not disappoint him.

"Absolutely not!" He almost rose from his seat, his face going three shades of red. "Stroller and Pierce I don't have that much trouble with, since they left the Backdraft before the Royal Cup, but Vega… and Sarah Obscura, the mastermind of that whole incident?" The Chairman shook his head firmly. "Never."

"My reports say that the officer in charge of monitoring her say that Sarah shows no inclination to restart the Backdraft, and in fact was instrumental in its downfall. As for Vega… he's just a kid who enjoys zoid battles." He grinned at the Chairman, whose face was slowly losing its red hue. "Besides, the Blitz wouldn't just ask them both in if they felt they were at risk."

"Maybe…" The Chairman had to concede.

"Besides, what if some rouge element of the Backdraft grabs both of them, and then threatens Sarah's life to get Vega to do things for them?" He pressed his case. The Chairman clearly had not thought of that angle, since his face whitened rapidly at the thought of Vega on the loose again. "Many within the Backdraft blame Sarah for their fall. If she is with the Blitz, both of them would be in safe hands."

"True…"

"And of course, IF they do get out of line, who better to stop them?" He smiled again. "Who better than those who took them down before when no-one else could get close?"

"You could…"

The man lost all cheer. "You know that I can't get involved." The Chairman seemed to sag in his chair.

"All right, I'll let them join. I still think it's a bad idea though…"

"Trust me," The man smiled again. "You'll soon realise that it is the right choice."

"I hope your right. I suppose you know which city they'll…"

"Romeo City."

The Chairman snorted before sighing off.

Shaking his head, the man stood up and made his way out of his airy office. He could understand the Chairman's reluctant, but he knew in his heart that all four of the ex-Backdraft members were at heart good people. He had known several of their forefathers, so he knew they came from good stock. The skills they displayed, even certain features of their faces and bodies showed that in them the inheritance was strong. Stoller was really the only unknown, but even he had traceable ancestors, and they turned out all right. Of course it was never a foregone conclusion, but if you played the odds…

Stepping outside, he took a deep breath of the clear mountain air. The faint smell of snow, water and life was almost smothered by the smell of good food cooking on a traditional barbeque. The gentle sounds of a peaceful city were drowned out by the crackle of the barbeque, clinking drinks and the easy laughter of old friends.

"Ah you're just in time!" He looked across at his family and closest friends. "We were going to start without you." Several cheers and raised glasses punctuated her comment.

Smiling broadly, he stepped forward to join the gathering…

* * *

**DR: **Ah, the intrige and drifting sense of romance... it... (loud crash comes from other room)

**Zeke: **Mine thief!

**Shadow: **Mine now!

**DR: **You two cut it out! (More crashes from other room. DR sighs and gets up) Excuse me while I knock some sense into those two... (walks out. Even more loud crashes ensures)

**Shadow: **Ouch!

**Zeke: **Mommy!

**Irvine: **(shakes head)


	22. Tales & Reformations

**DR: **Welcome back! Chapter 22 ahoy!

**Irvine: **Do we get to see some action now?

**DR: **Ah, no. There's a few nice moments, my take on how the BackDraft was first formed, and we see what's coming for the Blitz Team. It's not going to be pretty...

**Shadow: **Could you please untie us now?

**DR:** Hmm... no.

**Zeke:** (pleading voice) Please?

* * *

Chapter 22: Tales & Reformations

Over the drinks and meal that followed, the past and future Blitz team members bounded together. They swapped jokes and tales from across the world. Sarah was able to relax, truly relax, for the first time in over a decade. Even Stigma Stoller cracked a smile now and again at some of the tales that flowed around. Other bar patrons glanced at the gathering every now and again, trying to understand how the Blitz Team could so openly sit and laugh with people who had been their fiercest rival at one point. Pierce skimmed over her past, claiming that there was nothing of any real interest there. Jamie and Leon doubted that, but decided not press just yet. If they were to be team-mates, there would be plenty of time to find out the truth.

As they all ate, Leon turned to Stoller. "Sarah mentioned that you're the one to ask about the Backdrafts beginnings, and suggested that it was really different back then. Care to elaborate?"

Stoller sighed. "I guess it can't hurt anyone now." And with rather cryptic statement he began his tale.

"At first, the Backdraft was formed by pilots who simply couldn't get excited by battle in ZBC organised matches. Like myself, they felt that there was always something missing. True, at the time the ZBC were quite tight with the rules, as they were still finding their feet. Back then the pilots and warriors were mostly ex-military, those who had seen real battle. The organised battles seemed too 'false' to them." He paused to take a drink.

"They, like the many other small groups formed all over the planet, started running their own battles out in the wilderness, without the rules the ZBC imposed. They did keep a few, but most of the book was thrown out the window. Back then the Backdraft didn't even have a name.

"Over the next few years the ZBC relaxed the rules a little and expanded them, allowing greater range of weapon options and variations on the basic rules. At that point many of the smaller groups faded back into the mainstream system. Also the influx of new, young pilots boosted the standing of the ZBC.

"The pre-Backdraft group also lost members, but it remained a separate entity. It had a hard core of ex military pilots, who treated it like an old pilots club. But it also began to attract a certain type of pilot. Pilots who put victory above all else, and damn anything that gets in the way. It also began to gain elements from the fringes and underbelly of society.

"It was only when the ZBC – and the world governments in general – declared gambling illegal that the Backdraft really took off. That's how they came up with the name 'Backdraft'. It was meant to show the ZBC the face of the back draft of unpopular judgements.

"However, even then it was not a truly criminal group. True it was outside the law, but it had no aim. Only the desire to have no-holds barred battles, where vast sums of money could be won and lost. Battles that fired the blood of the pilots involved beyond what the regular fights could.

"I joined the group first as a means of training, thinking that once I cut my teeth there, I'd be the best warrior in the ZBC. But it was about that time that someone took an interest in the group. I may never know who it was, but looking back I can see the chain of seemingly unconnected events and decisions that turned a – relatively – harmless thrill seekers club into the shadowy organisation that it became." Stoller looked at Sarah almost apologetically.

"Had I taken more notice at the time, I would never have brought Sarah in with me. By the time I realised what was happening, it was too late to stop it. I know, because I tried. I spoke out, calling for sense. In reply I was visited.

"They knew far too much about me, including that I had taken both Sarah and her new born son under my wing, and that I was about to do the same for Pierce. I was warned that should I persist in 'Slowing the natural order and progress of change', there would be repercussions for my two 'freak concubines'." While the gathered Blitz team was stunned, Sarah however sighed. She'd seen the change that had come over Stoller at that point, how he had become more protective and offering to help her more. Now she knew the root cause.

Pierce was both shocked and furious. "They called me and Sarah 'Freaks'?"

"Well, you both do have odd coloured hair…" Bit began, but a look from bright red-haired Leena shut him up.

"After that, I did what I was told, but I never really agree with their policies." Stoller continued. "The expansion into truly criminal circles continued, and the pilots joining were from that section of society. I did what I could to tilt the pilots away from the roles that the bulk of the committee was aiming, but it was never enough. It was only when I was put in charge of the Elephander Revival project that I got my chance to split away. By using your defeat of me as a basis, I was able to make a successful break." Stoller sighed.

"After our fight, I had to take time to look over the latest version of the rules the ZBC was using, and the way fights were now fought. Realising that I could now achieve my dream, I enrolled. I figured that a warrior, hardened by the Backdraft, piloting one of the most powerful zoids around could defeat all comers." He chuckled. "I forgot to take into account the fact that I would often be going up against three to four zoids at once. Even the best can be beaten by shear numbers."

"Well, from now on, you'll no longer stand alone." Leon stated with conviction. Several others agreed with Leon.

Stoller cocked an eyebrow. "Surely that's up to the ZBC?"

"Well, why don't we find out what they say?" Bit asked.

With everyone agreed, the group began to make their way out of the bar, tipping Tony handsomely on their way out for his excellent and courteous service.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Twenty minutes later they gathered again outside the Romeo City branch of the ZBC. The glass and steel building was non-descript compared to the other such structures around it. The only things that made it stand out were the ZBC emblem on the front wall and the plinth that ran above the door. Like all such plinths on all the branches of the ZBC, this one had small statues of two zoids – a Blade Liger and a zoid that looked a lot like a meaner version of the Genosaurer – on it, locked in mortal combat.

After registering the Fluegel teams transfer to the Blitz here, they knew their way around. As they approached the transfers' desk, Leena recognised the woman sitting there.

"Hey there!" She called cheerfully. The lady looked up, and a smile quickly formed on her face.

"Hey, welcome back. Here again for new team members?"

"Yep. Just don't scream…"

"Huh…oh." The lady trailed off as she saw who accompanied the Blitz. "I see…" She turned back to face Leena. "You sure about this?"

Leena looked over her shoulder at her team, before replying. "Completely."

Sighing, the woman motioned over the ex-Backdraft pilots. Once they were close enough, she put on her official business voice.

"Any of you registered with the ZBC already?"

Stroller stepped forward. "Yes. Stigma Stoller, Solo pilot of the Stoller Team." At the Blitz teams funny looks while the lady punched in his details, he shrugged. "Couldn't think of anything better at the time."

"Ah right, here you are." The lady beamed happily. "You are aware that you will have to disband your own team to join the Blitz?"

"Yes." He nodded.

"You are sure you accept being a pilot within the Blitz Team, without a controlling interest?"

Stoller glanced sharply at Leon.

"Standard rules I'm afraid. Doc owns the rights of the team, so technically what he says goes. But really we all have a say in what happens." Leon reassured him. "We don't have a pecking order at all."

"We'd never survive one anyway." Bit added playfully. Stollers face eased, and he turned back to the ZBC lady.

"In answer, yes."

"Okay," The lady stretched out a hand to pull out a set of forms from a number of drawers. "Once you've filled these in, I can send them up to the local commissioner for his approval."

Stoller took the forms without a word. As he stepped away, Pierce stepped up to the desk. The older woman behind the desk looked up at her.

"You registered too?"

Pierce looked uneasy. "Sort of. I took the flyer rating tests the other day, but I've yet to register as a pilot in my own right."

"That's fine." The lady answered. "Just give your name."

"Pierce." At the ladies look, Pierce shrugged. "Just Pierce."

When Pierces data came up on the ZBC system, the woman whistled. "That's a pretty good score. I don't think I've ever seen one that high before." Pierce blushed slightly while the woman collected a set of forms again. This bundle was a bit thicker than Stollers.

"Okay, I'm afraid you'll have to fill these out, and you'll need to collect your zoid gear and personal code once these have been approved."

"Thank you."

The woman turned to face Sarah and Vega. She had to sit up a bit straighter to see Vega.

"And are you both wishing to join the Blitz as pilots too?"

Sarah shook her head. "No. I was hoping for administration support." She ruffled Vega's hair. "My son's the pilot. But he's not registered yet…"

Something in Vega's open, honest expression seemed to ease the lady's heart. "Okay then. I'll just get you the forms…"

X-X-X-X-X-X

The team sat around in the central waiting room. Brad and Naomi were snuggled together on one sofa, while Bit and Leena sat together on another. Stoller leaned on a nearby pillar, watching as Steve and Sarah talked about the trials of raising children as a single parent, while Leon sat close by. It had been a long time since he'd seen Sarah open up and talk freely to someone else. It warmed Stollers heart just to see her like she had been when she little. She had been such a free spirited child back then, full of life. Though she could be firm and determined when she wanted, Sarah had always had a soft heart.

It was possibly why she had been so easily taken in by Vega's father…

Stoller also noticed that Leon's eyes seemed to linger on her. Stroller had to admit that she was an attractive woman, wearing that dark blue dress that complemented her hair. It was loose and flowing around her legs and lower arms, but was close fitted around her body and had a low cut neckline. Combined with the small amount of makeup she wore, Sarah Obscura certainly could turn heads. It was no wonder Leon was looking at her in appreciation.

Stoller hoped that Leon's intentions were fully honourable. He'd always seen Sarah – and Pierce too, for that matter – as the younger sisters he'd never had. As such, he always felt protective of them both. But from what he'd seen of Leon Toros, he could make Sarah very happy. She deserved it.

Pierce sat across from Jamie, discussing aerial zoid tactics and manoeuvres. Slowly she began to see that Jamie was brilliant in his own quiet way. A bit lacking in self-confidence really, but there was nothing wrong in being modest. She was however still struggling to understand how this young lad could have beaten her in air to air combat though.

"The others said you have an alternate personality," She asked gently. "Is that true?"

Jamie sighed. "It is. But we never found out until Doc bought our Raynos, selling my Pteras to do so…" His voice hung slightly at mention of his beloved old zoid.

Pierce fully understood. There were always certain zoids that people found themselves comfortable with. She had dismissed such claims until she had first climbed into the Storm Sworder she had been given by Dr Layon. Suddenly she had felt right at home, the first time she ever had.

"How did it – he –emerge?"

"I'm not sure. All I remember of that fight was being hit, plunging towards the ground like my father did once…" He trailed off, and Pierce could guess what had happened.

"Next thing I know, I'm in the Hover Cargo, and the rest of the team are congratulating me for excellent flying." Jamie looked thoughtful. "After I reviewed the logs, I sort of know what happened, but I have no memory of it."

Pierce motioned him to continue.

"It seems that when the Raynos broke the sound barrier in the dive, I lost consciousness. But almost immediately afterwards, I woke up again, but it wasn't me flying, it was this alternate personality. He calls himself 'The Wild Eagle'." Jamie looked glum. "He's everything I'm not."

"How so?"

"Cocky, highly skilled, incredibly reflexes, and supremely confidant." Pierce nodded as Jamie listed all the traits she had noticed in their short fight, though she thought that the 'Wild Eagle' had been rather over confident actually. But then, with those kinds of skills, anyone would.

"Any idea how he came into being?" She asked gently.

"I haven't a…" Jamie was interrupted by a ZBC official stepping into the room and calling for all their attention.

"Could you all please follow me?" he asked politely.

Quickly he led them all into the main office. Sitting behind his desk the local commissioner watched them all file in. Off to one side was a high ranked member of the City Security forces.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting, but we had to gather a few facts first." With only three chairs facing him, the bulk of the Blitz had to stand. Steve, Sarah and Naomi took the seats.

"Firstly, the transfer of both pilot Stigma Stoller and pilot Pierce is approved." Leon grinned at Stoller, while Bit shook Pierces hand. Stoller had a slightly surprised look on his face while Pierce blushed slightly.

"As for Sarah and Vega Obscura…" The commissioner trailed off, before turning to face the Security Chief. He now stepped forward as the assembled pilots hushed.

"Sarah Obscura, you were allowed to go free on bail instead of being sentenced, mainly due to your willingness to assist us in tracking down the remaining Backdraft group members. To appease the public, and the more hard line officials within both the Justice System and the ZBC, you had a set of conditions placed upon you." At this point he smiled, and Sarah once again began to breathe freely.

"You have met those conditions admirably. You have kept your nose cleaner than some of my own officers. You did not attempt to take control of any zoid teams, nor did you attempt to deceive us in any way. In fact, the officer you've been reporting to claims that you brought so much detail to your daily reports that he wonders when you had time to sleep." Several of the Blitz chuckled while Sarah blushed as she looked embarrassed.

"Now that you're being offered employment within a successful team that has proved time and again to be able to handle anything thrown at it, it is my duty, and my privilege, to formally release you from nearly all conditions of your parole. It is now up to the Blitz Team to keep you in check, and to report anything that could be termed suspicious and or deceptive on your part."

Vega cried happily as he hugged his mother, while the rest of the team were ecstatic. The officer held up an electronic key card.

"Would you mind lifting your foot up? I would remove that bracelet now, but my joints aren't what they used to be…"

Smiling sweetly, Sarah stood up before lifting her right foot onto the seat. She pulled her skirt up enough so that he had clear access to the tracker anklet. As the officer disarmed and removed it, she felt her eyes drawn up. She noticed that Leon was watching her leg, until he noticed her looking at him. He flushed a nice shade of red.

"Since Vega Obscura was never charged with any form of criminal actions," The commissioner stated. "He is free to join the Blitz team, since there is no doubt about his skills…" everyone laughed happily at that. "… I assume you want the Berserker Fury too?" Vega nodded eagerly.

The commissioner laughed. "Well, you'll have it. The only conditions we impose are: One, that the Fury's charged particle cannon be either downgraded, or replaced. Such weaponry is still illegal in official zoid battles, purely for their destructive potential." No laughed at that. They could all remember Vega using the Fury's cannon to almost completely destroy a falling Judge Satellite that would have landed on top of them had he not acted.

"Two, you'll be held responsible if it gets out of control again. Do you agree to these terms?" Vega nodded again, sombrely.

"Good, the Fury will be transported to you within the next couple of days. I wish you all the best in Class S. I expect we'll be hearing more about the new and improved Blitz Team very soon."

For Sarah, it was one of the happiest moments of her life.

Outside the offices, the newly expanded team congratulated each other.

"Well, that went well!" Bit crowed.

"Hmm, too well…" Stoller stared at the building, suspicions running though his head.

"Come on Stroller, you worry too much." Pierce chided him.

"Either way, we've still got a lot to do." Leon put in before Stoller could respond. "We need to see if the Hover Cargo is complete, and the Base is going to need an overhaul, including extra hanger space."

"We could hire a temporary hanger for both aerial zoids," Sarah suggested. "That should leave enough room in the current hanger for the other zoids. I'd suggest the Elephander be the one placed in the centre of the hanger: It's about the only place it'd fit."

"Good idea. We could kip in the Hover Cargo – if it's ready – until the bases overhaul was complete." Bit threw into the discussion.

"We still haven't decided how we're going to have the base remodelled." Leena pointed out.

"Well, let's see if the Hover Cargo is ready first, then we can all sit down and work out what we'll need." Leon answered her.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The man strode down the long dark corridor, towards the central bay of his hidden base. Helios had assembled a strike force for the attack on the Blitz Team, and the Dark Lord wished to see it before it was launched.

Stepping around a crumbling wall that protruded into the hall, he mused on his location. _'No one would have ever thought I would make my new base here, right under my greatest defeat.'_ He kicked the small chunk of wall as he passed.

Every now and again the corridor opened up, allowing a look into the tomb of the buried city. As he walked along the path, he looked out across the ruined skyscrapers, towards the centre of the once great city. He could just see the place, where a great monument had stood, a vaguely female figure in a squared off alcove, cables thicker than tree trucks linking _Her _and the alcove. The whole structure had had a bluish tinge, and had radiated power for thousands of years.

But since before Helios had begun to build his base nearby the statue had vanished, gone without a trace, leaving an empty alcove. Now the city that had been built around her, for her, stood empty and dull. In truth it had been empty of life for thousands of years even before it had remerged from the ground at his moment of glory. But _She _had brought a spark of life that could not have been discounted. With _Her _here, the city was never truly dead.

Now it stood dead, as dead as its builders. Crumbling, decaying, and breaking down into rubble and ruins, in a few hundred years time there would be nothing left.

Chuckling to himself, the man stepped back into the dark corridor. _'In a few months time, there wouldn't be anyone left to attempt to find this disgrace.'_

"**Something amuses you Dark Lord?"**

He grimaced. He'd forgotten that Helios had cameras, mikes, speakers and sensors along every single stretch of corridor and tunnel. Nothing happened within his base that he didn't know about.

"Just thinking that soon, we will complete our life's work…"

"**And the first blow will land within a few days."**

"Yes…" The man's face formed into an evil grin as he contemplated the fate of the remaining bits from his past.

Stepping though a door, he stopped at the edge of a rocky ledge. There was no safety rail, but he had no fear, his toes protruding just over the edge. He stared down in to the hanger he had entered, looking over the force Helios had assembled.

The bulk of the force was made of Rev Raptors.He could see sixteen of the small biped zoids, in four groups of four. Each looked fairly standard, though the eyes had shifted tone, from green to purple. It was an odd contrast to their mostly red metal skin. Their silver scythe blades on their backs were folded back, and the heads were brought back on their necks.

With each group of Rev Raptors, a solitary Command Wolf stood. The Backdraft had repainted these ones in a dark grey tone, but apart from that they seemed pretty standard. The only odd thing was that the normally orange canopy had shifted tone, turning darker, more reddish.

Near the rear of the force two hulking Dibisons stood, their back mounted arrays of cannons augmented by four separate small Vulcan cannons; two on the cheeks, the others either side of the main gunnery set. Like the Command Wolves, their eyes had a red shift.

Standing front and centre though was a set of constructs that no zoidian would ever have made. Each was made of boxy sections, which gave them a tough, no-nonsense feel to them. They stood on two thick, clearly mechanical legs with four joints apiece, and they had no arms as such: They were walking turrets. Their skins were bare metal, and were layered with armour.

Placed between the groups of zoids, four identical machines surrounded a fifth. It truly was a boxy construct, basically a flattened cube with a truncated pyramid on each face. The front was defined by a single purple eye blazing from the end of one of the pyramids. The sloping faces above and below were the fronts of missile pods. The two side 'arms' had weapons attached above, below and on the outside faces. The top 'arm' however carried a single large tube on top, blazon with nuclear warning symbols. It's heavy, three toed feet and massive legs held it upright.

Its escorts had longer, thinner legs, with almost dainty feet. The 'body' was built more like a man's, with a thick, well armoured 'chest' that protruded ahead of the 'head' housing the single eye. On both sides thick spars shot out where arms would be, supporting two large pods that rose up higher than the head and two smaller ones that hung below the spars. The front faces of both pods were studded with missile tubes. The spars ended in mounting points for three separate weapons.

But the most impressive beast stood ahead of them all. It was a nightmare made of metal, massing at least as much as a Gojulas. At its core sat another hexangular box, with missile pods and two smaller boxes each side. From those two spars shot out, looking relatively thin and weak, but the man knew that they were tough, almost pure armour. The spars split part way along their length, and at the ends each mounted a ranged weapon. A total of eight weapons, an even mix of high-energy lasers and rotary ballistic cannons hung there, while another five weapons where attached directly to the beasts body. Two of those weapons were large, brutal looking things consisting of four blades mounted in the corners of a square, all pointing the same way. The whole construct looked frail compared to many zoids, but he had seen the things in action. Even before Helios had begun to upgrade them with zoid technology, these machines had been rugged and lethal, fighting all the way till they were completely destroyed. Just standing there, immobile, it exuded an air of menace, of lethal intent.

"**The initial wave will be made by the zoid elements. Each element of four Rev Raptors led by a Command Wolf will concentrate fire on a single Blitz Team zoid." **Helios explained. **"The two Dibisons will provide fire support, and will engage their aerial zoid with their secondary armament."**

"And the others? They are yours?"

"**Correct. I had to modify an old Headhunter to carry the weapon; no zoid would accept such a weapon."** As Helios spoke its name, the machine carrying the nuke seemed to stand up straighter.

"**The four Diablos will provide close escort, all the way to the end." **The man nodded. If the Blitz figured out what was happening, then the one carrying the bomb would need help.

"And the last one?"

"**The Cerberus?" **The nightmarish machine tilted its body back, so it stared up at him. Despite being nothing more than a collection of metal parts, wiring and circuits, that single sensor eye blazed with a hatred of anything remotely human. **"It is in overall command, fitted with command element protocols, and will coordinate the assault. If the Diablo units should fall, it will provide the close escort instead. If the weapon fails to go off…"**

"Don't you mean if the Blitz stops the Headhunter?"

"**No. The warhead is a sixty-megaton thermonuclear device. Anything within ten miles of the weapon will be obliterated. The blast and heat wave will destroy anything within thirty. Projecting 100 fatalities within fifty miles, either from the blast itself, or radiation poisoning. For every mile further away from ground zero, the fatality rating drops one percent. If the Headhunters AI is terminated before it reaches the target coordinates, the weapon will detonate. It also has a backup timer in case it is removed from the Headhunter by force."**

The man nodded a smile on his face. Such loss of life would shock the world, just as he intended.

"**If the weapon fails, the Cerberus and its remaining units will attempt to destroy the Blitz Team in the traditional manner. Targeting first any and all zoids, then any people it senses, then the base itself. After the Blitz Team is totally destroyed, it will turn its guns on the wreckage of my other units, to ensure that nothing remains for the ZBC to find."**

"And the zoids under your control?" He eyed the array of ballistic and energy weapons on the Cerberus machine.

"**The Cerberus will ensure that nothing remains that will give them a clue that I exist. If anything approaches before it has completed its work, the Cerberus will enact its overriding order, the same as for on the approach to the Blitz Base."**

The man grinned, guessing what the order was. "And that order is?" Helios's reply had a firm air of finality.

"**No witnesses."

* * *

**

**Irvine: **(gulp)

**Zeke: **Oh oh...

**DR: **A storms heading right for the Blitz... Till next time!


	23. Special Delivery to Blitz Base

**DR: **Since it's getting late and I'm online any why, here's the next chapter for you all. you lucky people. Please note this has nothing to do with Halloween, possibly the most pointless...

**Zeke: **Ah, you'd better stay on topic.

**DR: **Good point. Shadow, can you keep those 'Trick-or-Treat'ers at bay?

**Shadow: **Easily.

**DR: **Good...Just a few things to sort out before hand, then we can let loose!

**Shadow: **Oh yes...

* * *

Chapter 23: Special Delivery to Blitz Base

The next few days were hectic for the Blitz Team. With three new zoids, their pilots and an extra support person joining, the existing Toros Base was simply inadequate. Luckily the work on the Hover Cargo was completed the evening that the new members were registered, so the team would have a place to live while the contractors rebuilt the base. Acting on Sarah's suggestion, they hired a temporary twin-zoid hanger to expand the base enough to handle all the zoids that now formed the Blitz team.

The next day was spent mainly moving their stuff out of the base and into the Hover Cargo, to allow the contractors to work freely. Most of Naomi's gear was still packed up in her Gustav, so she was able to concentrate on helping the others. The whole of Bit's cash of parts were placed into storage within the bowls of the Hover Cargo, with the Doc under firm orders not to sell them.

Towards midday, the Obscura's Gustav approached the base, followed by the Elephander of Stoller. He stopped his mammoth shaped zoid just before the hanger. Jamie had already moved his Raynos out to the temporary hanger along side. The Blitz gathered round as Stoller climbed down the Elephanders trunk: dropping out of the cockpit would have resulted in nothing more than a stain on the ground that had been Stigma Stoller.

"Hey!" Bit called out. Stoller turned and gave him a small smile in response. "You got everything?"

"Yes." Stoller nodded. "I travel light."

"At least someone does." Brad commented. "Both Naomi and Leena have mountains of stuff. We had to use nearly all the space in her Gustav to carry all of Na's." Naomi glanced over at him, and was about to reply when the crash of a sonic boom resounded overhead.

Leon looked up at the thin contrail that traced a path overhead and was now turning about. "Three guesses as to who that is."

Sarah shook her head. "She was always doing that, even at the Backdrafts secret bases."

"Must have got her into trouble."

Sarah nodded. "Oh yes. But that didn't stop her one bit."

As they talked, Pierce was bringing her Storm Sworder in. Larger than the Raynos, Storm Sworders were even rarer flying zoids. While the Raynos was more of a high-speed dragster of a zoid, specialising in dogfights using its guns, the Storm Sworder was a mêlée fighter, with up to three laser blades built into its head and wings. They could carry a substantial amount of firepower, but they were at their best when used for high speed slashing attacks on other flyers, and using their sonic boom wakes on ground targets.

Pierce gently set the zoid down, before using the long legs to position it next to the Raynos. Shutting down, the body lowered till it was horizontal, and the belly engine was almost resting on the ground. The lower jaw swung down, and Pierce leapt gracefully to the ground. Shucking off her flying helmet, she shook out her long hair as she walked over to join the others.

"Nice entrance." Leon commented as he shook her hand.

"Thanks. It's been a long while since I could do that."

Now that the final members of the team had gathered, arranging who had which cabins in the Hover Cargo could begin. Naomi and Brad politely requested the largest cabin together, and the rest of the team agree. When Stoller asked why, both he and Pierce were told about Naomi's condition. Their reactions caused laughter all round. Stoller tried to maintain his calm exterior, but he only just managed it. It took him a few seconds to effectively form a reply.

"Ah, well in that case…" He trailed off, unsure how to continue.

Pierce had felt her jaw drop, before she pulled herself together when Stoller failed. Hugging Naomi, she congratulated her warmly.

The next couple of hours were spent with the new teams getting familiar with each other's zoids, and the done up Hover Cargo. The workshop had done a brilliant job in refurbishing the aging transport, and had in fact exceeded the intended design changes. Externally the central drum was a little wider and had a larger diameter. The foreman had told the team that the old structural members had been corroded like hell. It had been simpler to rebuild the whole transport, rather than try to replace the rotten parts. Nearly every system had been overhauled and upgraded, to bring the ancient transport more in line with modern ones.

The central drum now housed eight zoid pads, each capable of supporting the Elephander with ease. The lower bow area had been expanded to include a fully functional repair bay, capable of handling two class four zoids at once. There was plenty of room for larger zoids, like a Gordos, within than bay with room to spare. It and the rear ramp allowed zoids to enter and exit the transport without using the catapult.

The engines had been upgraded to modern versions, providing an extra twenty percent speed boost, despite all the extra mass. All the crew cabins had been refurbished, which came as a pleasant surprise to the Blitz, and many of the old flaws with the transport had been fixed. Even better, deployment of zoids was much faster as the electro-magnetic catapult built up its charge faster now.

When asked about the cost, the foreman had shrugged and had not charged them more than the initial estimate for the work they had put it in for. When asked why, he told them had he did it because they had brought the Backdraft down, and with the fame of the Blitz Team, quite a few teams were looking at, and even buying, Hover Cargos. And as one of the few people to sell and maintain Hover Cargos, he was gaining business thanks to their success. By asking for material costs only for his work, he was saying thank you for the extra business they had generated for him.

The team was nearly settled in when the radar alerted them to a large incoming aerial contact. Rushing outside, they watched as a Hammer Kaiser painted in the livery of the ZBC flew in. Only two thirds as large as the one that Hiltz had used to terrorise Zi years ago, modern Hammer Kaisers were the most often used team transport after the Gustav. Capable of hauling a dozen zoids at once over long distances, Hammer Kaisers were quite often used by zoid teams that could not afford a Whale king, leading to the label of 'A Poor Mans Whale King'. The latest versions exchanged the deadly missile based weapon systems for heavier armour and expanded cargo space, while point defence was made up by a number of small laser turrets. Several commercial companies relied on people travelling around the world for their income, and the most used zoid for the role was the Hammer Kaiser, modified to transport people instead of zoids. Bit and Vega grinned at each other as an official stepped down the personal boarding ramp towards them.

"Blitz Team?" He called as they stepped over. "Hi, I here to deliver the Berserker Fury." He shivered as he said that.

"Cold?" Leena asked one eyebrow raised. The day was quite pleasant.

"Na, it's just that zoid…" he jerked a thumb back at the transports belly. "…Makes my spine shiver to think what would happen if it woke up in flight."

Vega looked puzzled. "But I thought the ZBC officials disabled the self repair system back when they impounded it?"

"Yea, but before they put it on the Hammer, those systems were re-enabled." He shrugged. "Not my problem anymore. If you could just sign here…" He held out a clipboard to Vega, who signed the form where the cargo pilot pointed.

"And could the team owner…" the pilot asked. Steve stepped up and filled in the remaining part of the form. Taking back his clipboard, the pilot pulled off the top sheet and passed it to Steve.

"There you are, you're now responsible for that thing…" He turned to wave back at the zoids cockpit. Someone inside must have been watching, as the belly of the zoid opened up. A platform was slowly lowered to the ground, and laying stretched out on it was the Berserker Fury.

Bit drew in his breath at the sight of the Fury. Though he had fought the zoid twice before, it was still capable of sending a chill up his spine. He fully understood what the Hammer Kaiser pilot had meant. The head armour cover, shattered by the Liger in that last fight, was completely repaired, and the zoids eyes were a dull, muted red. The rotary blade arms that had been mounted on the Fury's back were missing, but apart from those, it seemed untouched. When Vega noticed the missing arms, he turned to the pilot. "Where are the arms that were mounted on its back?"

"Oh, the one was too badly damaged to fix, so the techs removed them both. They left the parts and the undamaged one in a crate. We'll get that out in a second. That reminds me," he finished into one of his flight suit pockets before pulling out a compact disc. "I was given this just before takeoff. Told to pass it on to you before I left." He handed it to Vega.

"What's on it?"

"Haven't a clue."

The platform carrying the Fury now rested on the ground. Slowly the Blitz team approached the sleeping zoid. Most of them felt nervous about being this close to possibly the most destructive zoid in existence. The Fury was well known for being temperamental, with a strong urge to lash out.

Overall, it was not that much larger or heavier than most other zoids. But due to its tyrannosaurus shaped design it was intimidating, with heavy, solid legs, a thick powerful tail, and a head that screamed 'killer'. It was also one of the few types of zoids armed with a charged particle cannon, one of the most powerful weapons ever mounted on a zoid. It was this weapon that people were afraid of, since such a gun could burn though anything. Shields, armour, mountains… almost nothing could withstand such power.

There were only four other zoid types armed such: the Genosaurer, the Geno Breaker, and the two 'Death' zoids, the Death Stinger and Death Saurer. It was considered fact that the Geno Breaker was an evolved version of the Genosaurer, much like a Blade Liger was an evolved Shield Liger. Unlike the Genosaurer, which had the same basic bodily configuration and main weapon system – the charged particle cannon - the Fury was quite different in several ways.

Firstly, its cockpit was in the head, where as in the Genosaurer it was in the chest, just in front of the zoids core. The reason for this difference was unknown. In the Genosaurer the charged particle cannon took up most of the space within the head and neck region, but that was not all: having the cockpit just above the barrel would have been suicide for the pilot. Charged particles would seep through into the cockpit and poison the pilot, with potentially fatal consequences. How the Fury managed it was unknown, but it was suspected that it had some kind of special shielding that protected the pilot from the charged particles. Certainly the armoured 'skin' of the zoid was critical, since without it, firing the cannon could be fatal for both zoid and pilot. The placement of the cockpit also meant that the pilot could look 'down the barrel' of the main cannon as it were, and gain a 'feel' for where the cannon was aimed. Pilots of Genosaurers did not get that feel from the displays they were forced to rely on.

The most glaring difference however was the simple fact that the Fury was an Ultimate X zoid, just like the Liger Zero. It was capable of learning from past battles, and would always grow stronger. It was well known to have strong destructive tendencies and a violent nature.

When the history of the zoid was known, the features of its head and form became much more ominous. As such, most of the Blitz Team approached the Fury with dread and trepidation.

Vega and Sarah however felt no fear. Vega was the Fury's pilot, and it had accepted Sarah. She couldn't pilot it, but it did tolerate her, and maybe even liked her. Vega passed the disk to her before he climbed up besides the massive head, its jaws lined with sharp teeth. He gently rested a hand just below the Fury's eye.

As if in response, the eye began to glow brighter.

The pilot and the rest of the Blitz team took several steps back. Even Steve was worried; for once fear overriding his natural instincts around rare zoids. The Fury was not something to be trifled with. Slowly the eye's intensity grew to full brilliance, and the Fury's limbs began to move. Vega stood beside it, smiling all the time. As it got a foot underneath itself, a single tear ran down his cheek. The rest of the team watched at the Fury slowly awakened from its sleep. It seemed tentative, reluctant to stand up by itself. Bit leaned towards Leon.

"This isn't what I expected. I thought it would jump up and Vega would have to do some fast talking to stop it tearing us apart." He whispered.

"You have to remember Bit," Leon whispered back. "It's been asleep for over three months. Imagine how you'd feel."

The Fury now stood on its own two feet. Slowly, it stepped down off the platform, as if testing the ground upon which it stood. When it had both feet off the platform, it took a few tentative steps. Each footfall was like a crack of thunder, as it stepped out form underneath the Hammer Kaiser. With each step, its latent power grew and the Fury became surer of itself. Finally it stood up straight, tall and proud. It looked out over the valley, and then unleashed a deafening roar, as in announcing to the world 'I'm back!'

From inside the hanger, the Liger emerged, and roared a reply. The whole team froze, realising that things could go very badly now…

Slowly the Fury turned around, to stare right at the Liger. Everyone cowered, except Vega who now stepped down from the platform and began to move towards the Fury. Sarah stepped close to him on the way.

"Be careful. He may not listen to reason right now…"

"Don't worry mother. I know what I'm doing."

The Fury roared again. Bit was startled to realise he could – just about - understand its deafening bellows!

**#You again!# **The tone was worse than Leena when she was really annoyed!

**#Relax will you, old friend?# **The Liger roared back. **#We are not fighting today, or anymore#**

'_The Liger called the Fury 'old friend'?'_

**#And why not?# **The Fury's voice was full of challenge, and it brought its head down, its feet clawing the ground. Clearly it was spoiling for a fight.

**#We now fight side by side. As a team#**

**#Bah! I don't need a team! I always win!#**

**#Really? I seem to recall us fighting before several times. We've both won three bouts each. I'm counting that fall of mine as a victory for you#**

'_Huh? I can only recall us fighting the Fury twice'_Bit thought hard. _'We won once, and we lost once. When were there the other fights? And what fall?'_

**#I'm still the better zoid! Don't you dare think that you're anywhere near as good! And you're forgetting the times you ran off! I'd have had you, if you hadn't chickened out!#**

**#Good thing you never did kill me, all things considering. Or have you forgotten Eveopolis?#**

'_What the hell did he say?'_

**#Who cares? That was then, this is now!# **Bit sighed. It was clear to him that the Fury was not going to listen to reason. But at that point Vega closed with the Fury.

"Fury!" He called out to the great zoids head. Slowly it looked down, before lowering its head down to Vega's level. The chin was nearly touching the ground.

**#Vega, you're alive!# **Only Vega heard the Fury's soft growl, and it caused tears to form in his eyes again. Who would have thought that the Fury cared so much about him!

**#I'm sorry master. I failed you…#**

"No, you succeeded better than any other zoid I can think of." Vega reassured the Fury. "It was a glorious battle! People are still talking about it, three months afterwards!" Vega suddenly realised that might have been a mistake to mention that…

**#Three months?# **The Fury rumbled, anger creeping into its voice again. **#You let me lie asleep for THREE MONTHS?#**

"It wasn't my choice! People are scared of you!"

**#As they should…#**

"Fury," Vega began again. "You don't have to prove anything anymore. You are considered the most powerful zoid in existence! You have no need to fight unrestrained anymore!"

**#But… but if I don't fight that way, they'll put me back in that cage!# **Vega heard something he would never had thought he would hear in Fury's voice: fear!

"I would never let anyone encase you in stone again Fury! Times have changed; our fortunes have changed, for the better!"

The Fury was silent, brooding. The rest of the team held their breath: now was the point when the fate of the Blitz would be decided.

**#Truly?#**

"Yes."

The tension drained out of the Fury, slowly but surely. Its eyes dimmed a little, and seemed to relax.

Everyone breathed again.

"Well done Vega, my son…" Sarah breathed in relief. The whole time he had been talking to the Fury, her heart had been in her throat.

Leon stepped forward to put an arm round her shoulders. "It's over. He's tamed it again." Sarah could only rest her head on his broad shoulder in relief. Bit turned to the Liger, intending to ask some questions, but the Hammer Kaiser pilot butted in.

"Phew! Glad that's over! Now, I'll just leave that crate and be off!" As he spoke, a standard shipping crate was lowered from within the Hammer Kaiser as its engines began to spin up.

"Been fun!" The Pilot called as he raced back into the transport. Even as he entered the hatch, the ladder folded up and the flyer lifted off.

The team watched as the Fury slowly approached, following Vega. He stopped just before Bit. "Say Bit, did you…"

The sudden roar of gunfire cut him off. Everyone turned to see missiles shoot up from behind a dune to strike the Hammer Kaiser in the belly. Bright yellow-orange laser beams stabbed though the expanding explosions as automatic cannons continued to send streams of rounds up at the transport. The transport lurched and bucked, before sliding sideways, tumbling as it did so. The missiles had torn apart its belly, and smoke billowed out as it fell. Laser beams continued to stab deep within as it rolled over and fell to earth. With a resounding crash it hit the rocky ground on its left side. The scream of tortured metal rebounded throughout the valley as it slid along, gouging itself on the rocks. Another dark plume of smoke rocketed skywards as metal shards fell to earth around the fallen transport.

Movement on the crest of the dune caught the Blitz's eyes. A row of zoids appeared, then another just off to the side. Each row consisted of two Rev Raptors flanking a darkly painted Command Wolf on each side. As a second set of zoids appeared behind the first, Bit noticed that the eyes of the Raptors and the canopies of the Wolves had a red shift.

Before he could comment though something crested the ridge between the two groups. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before, and it sent a shiver running down his spine. Stomping forward on two thick, mechanical legs, the body was a network of simple sections and a mass of weapons. It looked as though it carried more guns than Leena's Gunsniper!

But the most frightening thing about it was in the dead centre of that nightmare of metal. A single glowing purple eye blazed out, seeming to stare right at them. The message it sent was one that no one had any trouble reading.

'_I am Death, destroyer of worlds. Death awaits you!'

* * *

_

**Irvine: **Yikes!

**DR: **All hell is about to break loose... Stay tuned!


	24. Unleash The Dogs of War

**DR:** So Shadow, how many Trick-or-Treaters did you scare off?

**Shadow: **About a dozen. And those costumes were meant to be scary?

**DR: **(shrugs) I don't get the point of it either...

(Zeke enters room) **Zeke: **So Shad' did you scare some people good?

**Shadow: **yea, except for the first one. Little tyke thought I was in costume, and tired to pull my face off!

**Zeke: **0.o (rolls onto floor laughing)

**Shadow: **(growls) shut up.

**DR: **Okay, I had better just mention that this chapter is a little short, but a lot happens, so keep your wits...

* * *

Chapter 24: Unleash the Dogs of War

The man sat in his retreat, watching though the Cerberus's eye. Helios had informed him that it was time, and he had pulled out one of his few bottles of Nic Champs Whiskey, the one good thing that mankind had created. Apart from Helios and his kind of course. The Blitz base lay ahead in a valley, the gathered pilots outside. Three zoids stood with them, one of which was the Fury. Off to one side was the Hover Cargo, looking like new. Almost hidden by the transport was a small boxy structure, which looked very flimsy when compared to the main building.

'_That Hammer Kaiser that my force just put down must have delivered the Fury'_ he thought. The other two zoids he knew. _'The Liger Zero and the Elephander! Looks like Vegas not the only warrior joining the Blitz…'_

Sitting back, he put his feet up and prepared to witness the death of the Blitz Team. Raising his glass in mock salute, he laughed manically as the first few shots fell around the team…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Liger's roar of defiance snapped the Blitz out of their shock. Quickly Bit turned and ran towards the Liger, which was already dropping its head down.

"Everyone to your zoids, now!" He yelled over his shoulder. "These guys don't look friendly!"

Stoller quickly started climbing back up the Elephanders trunk as the zoids on the ridgeline advanced, the Command Wolves firing long-range shots as they did so. The nightmarish creation advanced more slowly, as five more, things, crested the ridge behind it.

As the initial shots began to fall around them, the rest of the team ran. Steve and Sarah began to run towards the Hover Cargo, while Jamie and Pierce headed towards their zoids as fast as they could. Leon, Naomi, Leena and Brad dashed back into the hanger, while Vega simply turned to the Fury. "Fury!" He yelled.

The Fury understood perfectly. It quickly lowered its head again and opened its canopy so Vega could hop in. Even before Vega had fully sat down in the pilot seat, the Fury's canopy snapped shut and the zoid pulled itself back up. After three months of inactivity, the Fury was ready for some action!

Bit scrambled into the Ligers cockpit just in time: it leapt to one side to evade a set of laser bolts that cut though the air right where it had been standing. They struck somewhere in the back of the hanger. Bit winced as he belted in. That was going to cost them.

Stoller was throwing switches even as he belted in. Realising that the others would be vulnerable as they emerged from the hanger, he deliberately moved to block the firing line to the entrance, powering up his shield as he did so. Hopefully, that would also prevent any collateral damage to the base. Swinging round, he acquired the nearest attacker…

Bard and Naomi had ducked when the beams had shot overhead to strike the hangers rear wall. A set of crisp holes had been burnt right though the thin metal into the main base.

"Watch yourself out there!" She screamed at him as Leena began to power her Gunsniper up. Outside the roar of cannon fire raised a notch as Stoller returned fire.

"You too!" he yelled back. "Remember, you've got an extra passenger now!"

She gripped him in a tight hug before they both split towards their respective zoids.

Vega quickly gripped the controls as the Fury turned towards the attackers. With most of his ranged weapon non-functional, he'd have to use the Fury's mass, teeth, claws and tail to fight this battle. The Fury told him that the main cannon was partial operational, but couldn't guaranty that it'd work.

"We don't need it Fury." He told the zoid as he started forward. He noticed that one group of zoids – a Command Wolf and four Rev Raptors – appeared to be focused on him alone. Smiling slightly to himself, he urged the Fury to charge right into their midst, bowling four of the zoids over. But as he turned to deal with the last one, the others got up again. "What?" He cried his jaw dropping. A head on collision with the Fury should have triggered a Command System Freeze!

Stoller, with his shield up, was able to take a moment to take in what was happening. The hostile force appeared to be split into several distinctive units. He, the Fury and the Liger all had a group of zoids attacking them alone, while he spotted two Dibisons standing on the ridge. Another set of zoids was heading towards the hanger. Then there were those unknown units. The largest one was hanging back a bit, but the other five were driving forward.

Stoller frowned. The arrangement of those five looked odd. A single unit was hanging back, while the other four – all the same type – were arrange ahead of it in a screen. He was about to comment when his sensors detected the Dibisons firing their artillery guns.

"Heads up! Incoming!" He yelled as the whistling sounds of falling shells drowned out the roar of weapons fire.

Jamie climbed rapidly into his Raynos; Pierce scrambling into her Storm Sworder a bit faster since she didn't have to climb up so high. He dropped into his seat as she began to take off.

'_This is bad.' _He thought as her Storm Sworder began to build up speed. _"We're completely off guard and unprepared.'_

Throwing on his belts, he hit several controls faster than he thought possible. Though the controls he felt the Raynos come alive as its engines kicked in.

'_Here goes nothing!' _He thought as he hit the boosters. The Raynos rocketed into the sky, just ahead of Pierces Storm Sworder. Both of them only just got airborne in time; a scything line of fire cut across the places where they had both been just a second before.

Leena was just stepping out of the hanger when Stoller called out his warning. Dancing left, she managed to evade a hail of shells as they rained down. A few struck the hanger it self, tearing the metal apart.

'_These guys don't care what they hit,'_ she realised. _'They're here to destroy us, not matter want gets in the way!'_

A set of small laser shots brushed past. Turning, she saw an entire attack group heading right for her. Gritting her teeth, Leena planted her zoids legs firmly into the ground as she acquired all five zoids on her targeting computer.

"WEASEL UNIT TOTAL ASSAULT!" She cried, opening up with her entire arsenal. Even under her trigger-happy rage, Leena noticed something odd. None of the zoids attempted to evade her target locks…

Bit dived out of the way of another shot from the Command Wolf that was dogging him. The Rev Raptors were trying to pen him in, but Bit was having none of that.

"Let's get them Liger!"

With a roar the Liger leapt into the air to crash down on one of the raptors. That should have taken it out right away, but the smaller zoid continued to struggle. Leaping away to evade more fire, Bit fired a volley from the splinter racks into the fallen zoids belly. The missiles torn into it, but the zoid refused to shut down. Despite the damage, it struggled up and attacked again!

Vega was surrounded by his attackers as they tried to bring him down by simple numbers. The Fury's tail smashed one Raptor to the ground, but it got up again, unfazed by the huge dent running along its flank. The others all tried to dig their scythe blades into the Fury, while the Command Wolf fired shot after shot into him _'Damn, this is not going to be easy!'_ He thought as the Fury gripped one raptor by the neck in its jaws.

Steve and Sarah only just made it to the Hover Cargo: a hail of cannon fire had traced them the whole way. Running to the control room, Steve threw the switches to engage the transports shield. Just in time, as a barrage from one of the Dibisons smashed into the side. He franticly began to holler into the radio for help as the battle outside went into full swing…

Brad pushed the Shadow Fox to full speed as he dived out of the hanger, closely followed by Naomi. Leon had to stop as another hail of shells rained from above: Only the last second engagement of the Blade Ligers shield save him. Once the barrage ended, he dived around Stoller to engage the attackers head on. "That's it Stoller!" He called out. "We're clear!"

"Good. Now can someone give me a hand here?" Stoller yelled as his shield weakened from the constant barrage he was receiving from not only the zoid element that was attacking him, but also that strange group of five… whatever they were.

Jamie pulled up besides Pierce, as they circled round towards the battlefield. "Any ideas?"

"Sure. Hit them hard and fast." Pierce put words to action as she rolled over and dived towards the Dibisons that were continuing to shell the Blitz team and their base. Jamie rolled out and followed her, angling towards the five things that were pounding Stroller.

Brad had the Fox loping around the flank of the attack, intending to attack the Dibisons directly. But that plan was put on hold when the zoids that were attacking Stroller turned and re-engaged him. Weaving though the hail of shots, he swung his Laser Vulcan around and sent a hail of short laser pulses back at them. Despite several hits, none fell. Cursing to himself, he turned to engage them head on.

Leon tried to assist Stoller against the unknown things approaching, but a trio of Rev Raptors broke away from the others and surrounded him. He dodged their fire and sliced one apart with his laser blades, but before he could make it two a set of laser blasts slammed into his flank. Rattled around within the cockpit, Leon took a moment to clear his head. But as he struggled to get the Liger up, something heavy landed on the Ligers back. Glancing over his shoulder, he came face to face with a Rev Raptor. The red-shifted eyes were even worse at this range. Bucking the Liger, Leon struggled to remove his passenger before it did too much damage.

Naomi raced towards the rear of the base, looking for some high ground. Seeing nothing she could use within reach, she pushed her zoid up and on to the roof of the Blitz Base using her custom jump jets. _'Hope it holds!' _She knew that the bases structure could withstand a considerable load. The question was how much? As her zoid settled onto the roof, Naomi held her breath. The supports groaned and flexed beneath the weight of the Gunsniper, but it held. Releasing her breath in relief, she mounted the hanger roof in a similar fashion.

Pierce began her attack run, pushing her zoid to full speed as it dove out of the clouds. She swept towards the Dibisons at well over mach two, who had stopped firing their back mounted cannons and were starting to turn towards her. _'At least they're not shelling the base…'_

The first had no chance. She was past it in a second, her sonic shockwave bowling it over. The heavy zoid thudded into the dirt on its side. The other turned to face her fully, and the air ahead lit up with tracer. Cursing, Pierce rolled away from the AA fire, her powerful shockwave dissipating. The Dibison tried to track her, sweeping the air with cannon fire. Pierce rolled again and pulled up into the clouds, out of sight.

Jamie swooped in, and began firing the second the unknowns were in his sights. Blast after blast shot out of the Raynos's belly guns, tearing up the ground around them. As cannon fire cut across his path, he had to pull up sharply. He was moving too fast to tell if he had managed to score any significant damage…

Stoller's jaw fell as he watched Jamie's shots strike an energy shield that surrounded each unknown. These shields didn't show up like a normal shield at all. His sensors couldn't even detect them! At least with the zoids that had been harrying him gone, he could concentrate on these threats now. Swinging the Elephander around, he opened up on the nearest unit. His shots again struck a shield, while his own was being depleted from the constant pounding he was receiving in return.

Bit and the Liger Zero body tackled another Rev Raptor down, before snapping the smaller zoids neck with one sweep of the Ligers Laser Claws. Seeing Leon in difficultly, Bit fired off a volley from his LRMs. Both missiles slammed into the small zoid, pitching it off the Blade Ligers back. "Thanks Bit." Leon called, his voice strained. Bit would have responded, except a Raptor tackled the Liger at that moment.

Leena continued to dance around. Her initial barrage had knocked all the attacking zoids down, but they had simply got back up again! Another volley, concentrated on the Wolf, had put it down for good, but the four Rev Raptors continued to circle her. So far she had evaded any critical damage, but neither had she landed any hits on her attackers. It was taking all her concentration to evade their attacks. She pulled off moves that she never thought she would ever have been capable of doing.

Vega simply let the Fury go. Right here and now, they needed unbridled aggression. The Fury lived up to its name. Tossing a Raptor away with one great shake of its head, it had used its jump jets to leap high into the air before crashing down feet first on another raptor. The unfortunate Raptor had been squashed flat, snarling once before dieing. Bellowing in victory, the Fury had charged another Raptor. It had stood its ground, continuously firing its arm weapons.

Steve and Sarah watched from within the relative safety of the Hover Cargo. Things were bad. These attacking zoids were fighting on long after their command systems should have let them, and the unknowns pushed onward inexorably. But on the plus side their whole team was out and fighting, and seemed to have the edge in skill…

Naomi reached the edge of the hanger. Finally in position, she engaged sniper mode. The Gunsniper spun round before its tail extended outward, priming the long-range sniper rifle built into it. Within the cockpit Naomi's seat flattened before pivoting around, bringing her face to face with the sniper controls. Settling into the familiar controls, she began to look for targets. With the melee in full swing below, she swung her sights towards the far ridge. Sure enough, the two Dibisons had righted themselves and now returned to throw shells into the valley, not caring who they hit. The base itself had already taken a few hits, and the ground outside was fast becoming nothing more than a mass of craters.

"Not anymore." She whispered as she pulled the trigger.

The hyper velocity bullet smashed into the Dibisons shoulder, punching through the gap between the shoulder armour and the body. It rattled around inside, tearing apart the actuator. The Dibison stumbled, but regained its footing. As it rose up to continue to fire, she fired on her true target, just below its neck. The round struck true, but the Dibison stood firm. _'That's impossible! A hit there should have knocked it out!'_

Bit had finally managed to put down another one of the Rev Raptors. There was no way it could continue to function when carved in two by Ligers strike laser claw. A near miss cleaved a leg off another, but it continued to fire its arm-mounted weapons. "What the hell is going on here?" He cried, as another Raptor was sent flying over his head by the Fury. He took a double take at the sight, before shaking his head and going after the Command Wolf that continued to fire linked blasts at him.

The Fox leapt backwards, evading a swinging blade by a hair. Brad mopped his forehead at the nearness of the blow. One Rev Raptor lay dead, blasted apart at close ranged with the laser Vulcan. Another was fighting off the effects of the electro-net, which should have knocked it out cold. _'Something very strange is going on here…' _He thought as he fired a long burst from his laser into the Raptor that had tried to take his head off and had over committed to the swing.

Pierce swept in low, upside down. She had the head laser blade extended, and cut a path right alone the spine of one of the Dibisons. The blade flashed right though the zoid and the sonic boom sent it tumbling down the ridge. But as she pulled an outside loop, Pierce noted that the Dibison was getting up again! Cursing up a storm, she rolled and weaved to come around again.

Jamie again strafed the things harrying Stoller, and this time saw his shots hit a shield. But then the shots began to hit the armour! As he pulled up out of the line of fire, he called up his discovery to the others. "Watch out everyone. The unknown things shields can be worn down. We just have to hit them hard enough!" As tracer tore towards him, he jerked to the right. Sweat trickled down his brow. Those bursts were getting closer and closer each time…

Stoller grimaced as he continued to fire on the first unit. The thing's shield had failed, and now his shots were slamming into its armour. But his weapons were barely harming it! It strode forward, regardless of the hits it was taking. He could see fragments of armour spinning off, but he seemed unable to seriously hurt the thing! All four machines in the front rank were unloading their own guns into him in retaliation. On the screen before him he could see the power level of his shield dropping lower and lower…

Sarah was watching the battle, a cold chunk of dread in her gut. _'This is wrong._' She thought. _'Something else was going on here…'_

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a gauge was climbing higher. Frowning she bent over to take a closer look. Radiation. The Hover Cargos sensors were reading a source of radiation close by, and getting nearer…

She looked again at the battle display, that cold chunk of dread transforming into pure terror. It fitted the pattern. There was no other way to explain the tactics of the attackers, a headlong rush by one small unit, while other elements ran interference…

She grabbed the radio. "That unknown group, the central one! It's got a nuclear weapon!" She heard Steve gasp in horror. "It's a suicide mission!"

* * *

**DR: **The cat's out of the bag now...

**Shadow: **Oh yea...


	25. At Any Cost

**Zeke: **Has anyone seen Fiona? I've got to tell her the next chapter is up!

**DR:** I think I heard her upstairs in guest room 1...

**Zeke: **Great, thanks! (runs upstairs)

**DR: **...But she wasn't alone...

**Zeke:** (upstairs) Fiona! I think... ekk!

**Fiona: **(upstairs) (screams)

**Van: **(upstairs) Zeke! Get out! (Zeke comes back down, bright red)

**Raven:** Pop in at a bad time? (evil grin)

* * *

Chapter 25: At Any Cost

The Blitz team pilots heard Sarah's scream, and each felt their hearts stop. A nuke! These people were determined to destroy them, even at the cost of their own lives!

Vega urged the Fury to push itself to the edge, and it responded in kind, tearing a Rev Raptors head clean off. Snarling it dived towards another, intending to give it the same treatment.

Leena had finally managed to evade her attackers long enough to unleash another barrage, which had placed one Rev Raptor sparking on the ground, but her armour was failing fast. The others were pounding away with their guns.

"I need help here!" She screeched.

Bit's heart leapt into his throat at her cry for help. "Hang on, I'm coming!" The Liger used another Raptor as a springboard to leap over the others and rush towards Leena. Beneath him, Leon used his leap as cover to race past all three remaining zoids, his side blades active and fully charged up. The Command Wolf fell, as did one of the Raptors, but the last managed to get out of the path of the blade. Leon spun round to assist Bit, but the last Raptor got in his way. The Command Wolf he had sliced the rear legs off was dragging itself around, the back mounted turret continuing to fire.

Naomi pumped another shot into the Dibisons weak spot, and this time it fell, out of the fight. Swinging around, she spotted Brad having trouble with a Raptor clinging to his back. The Shadow Fox was bucking around like a wild horse, but the Raptor clung on, it's jaws clamped round the Laser Vulcan's' barrels. She slapped a shot into its neck just below the jaw. With the brains cut off from the body, it fell off him like a rag doll.

"Thanks Na'." Brad called.

"Anytime lover…" she breathed huskily, her mind wandering off the battle for a second.

Jamie prepared to begin another strafing run, but a hail of canon rounds knocked him around, tearing the sticks out of his hands. Losing control, the Raynos plunged towards the ground at breakneck speed…

Pierce watched in horror as the Raynos dived nose first towards the rocky ground below. Impact at that speed would smash the zoid into garbage! Calling him, all she got was silence. But just as the Raynos hit the hundred-foot mark, it pulled up impossibly tightly and rocketed back skywards. It also threw a barrel roll into its climb, just for a laugh.

Flushed with relief, she hailed him again. "Jamie, don't do that again!"

"I beg your pardon!" The voice was Jamie's, but not Jamie's. So was the face that appeared in the comm window.

"Wild Eagle?" Pierce asked tentatively. She had never seen his video image before, and the difference between the two was striking. While Jamie had always looked unsure about everything, the Wild Eagle had nothing but overwhelming confidence in his eyes. His eyebrows seemed to have been angled downwards and his hair slicked back.

"That's right, Little Lady," He shot back. Pierce bristled at the 'Little Lady' comment, just like before. She was taller than him, for heavens sake! "Now, lets show these walking trash heaps how to fly!"

The Raynos plunged back towards the field, screaming in at a speed Jamie would never have used. Even before he levelled out, the Wild Eagle was firing his guns at the distant targets. His shots struck again and again on one of the units attacking Stoller, barely scratching the thing. As tracer filled the air ahead of him, he simply laughed and barrel rolled though it without a scratch.

Leena was losing armour fast. She knew that the Gunsniper could not take much more punishment. Suddenly a shining white knight smashed bodily into one of her attackers, tearing apart the raptors limbs. Bit's face popped up in a Comm window.

"Leena! Stoller needs fire support! We'll handle these guys!"

Leena turned and raced towards the Elephander, whose shield finally failed. Behind her the Liger Zero roared a challenge as it dived towards another Raptor.

Stoller bit his lip as weapons fire began to strike his zoids body. While nothing they were throwing at him was particularly powerful, the constant pounding would soon tear into his zoid. He was elated to see his weapons fire finally penetrate the machine he had targeted. The two separate pods on the side unit exploded in a mass of pyrotechnics, ripping them apart and blasting the weapons outside them clear. The machine staggered to the right, blown across by the multiple detonations. Flames billowed out of the broken stubs of the side compartments.

'_Man, must have been loaded with missiles…' _he had time to think, as if in reply the remaining three units all fired a volley of missiles back at him. His shield was still recharging, so Stoller braced the Elephander as best he could. The multiple detonations rocked his heavy zoid about, clouding his view of the unit he had damaged regaining its footing and began to move forwards again. Alarms began to whine within the cockpit as the Elephander took serious damage.

Naomi however saw it. "Oh no you don't…" She dropped her sights onto the machines knee and fired. The round jammed within the mechanisms, stopping the joint working. It stumbled, but then the machine seemed to compensate and started limping. Naomi unleashed a string of curses that she didn't know she knew.

Vega and the Fury smashed into the last Rev Raptor that faced them, mangling it under the Fury's weight. He turned to find the Command Wolf reeling from a barrage of micro-missiles fired by the Liger. Stunned, the Wolf had no chance to evade the Fury as it slammed into it. The Fury clamped its jaws down on the Wolfs neck, before shaking it about like a dog with a toy.

Brad charged right at the Command Wolf that had been dogging him. Weapons fire flashed all around them both, but neither could hit the other. Brads eye's narrowed as he leapt to the side, then again towards the Wolf. Being an ex-Command Wolf pilot himself, he knew their weaknesses all too well. The Wolf didn't react to his sudden change in course.

"Strike laser claw!" He yelled as the Foxes claws torn across the wolf's body just behind the shoulders. That blow should have taken it down, but as with this whole battle, the Wolf seemed to shrug it off. Brad settled the matter with his laser. He pumped shot after shot into its shoulders until the Wolf fell.

Naomi was lining up for another try at the damaged thing when a hail of laser blasts and cannons shells slammed into her zoid and tore apart the section of hanger she was standing on. As the Gunsniper fell, she caught a glimpse of the nightmarish thing, the one that had knocked her off her perch. _'Hope that's not the last thing I ever see…'_ Impact with the floor of the hanger took the Gunsniper out, and her world went black.

Pierce flung herself towards the last Dibison. It was filling the air around her with tracer, and was staying ahead of her sonic booms. Realising that it had to go down, she armed her small supply of precious missiles. Despite the tracer getting closer, she remained on target until she had a firm lock. She pulled the trigger four times rapidly as rounds began to chew into her Storm Sworder, sending shivers running up the controls.

From underneath each wing a pair of high-speed missiles dropped away and fired their rocket motors. Each missile screamed down at the Dibison, hitting one after the other on the same spot. The first three blew a hole in the armour for the fourth to get inside. Suddenly the Dibison disappeared in the centre of a titanic denotation. Its entire supply of shells had gone off. As the flames settled, the Dibison's blackened remains could be seen within them, the entire back blown apart. It slumped down in the newly formed crater as shrapnel from the detonation cascaded down around it.

Pierce didn't have time to celebrate though. The return fire had wrecked the lower engine, and the Storm Sworder was losing power fast. Worse, the controls were also unresponsive. The Storm Sworder was going down, a thick trail of smoke left in its wake. She had no choice but to eject and hope the zoid survived the crash. She yanked on the lever between her feet, and was suddenly snapped upright by the ejection seats automatic systems.

The Wild Eagle wasn't laughing now. The monster that had brought Naomi down had winged him with its lasers. He had never seen shooting like that! Although he had managed to evade the worst of the fire, every one of his weapons was ruined. With his guns wreaked, there was little he could do. Pierce ejecting caught his eye as he circled round. He wasn't too worried until he noticed that her chute didn't open after the seat had fallen away. After several more seconds, it was clear that her chute had failed! Raking his brains, the Wild Eagle got a sudden, crazy idea…

Bit cursed as he finished off the last of the Rev Raptors with the shock cannons. Steve was transmitting tactical data to everyone, and he had seen both icons representing Naomi and Pierce fade. Turning he raced back towards the hanger where the Elephander was staggering under the constant hail of fire.

Stoller was barely able to hold on. The Elephander was being torn apart by weapons fire, and his shield was completely offline. The cannon rounds were digging deeper into the zoid and the weapons were being knocked out one by one. As another barrage of missiles struck, he slipped into darkness. The Elephander wavered for a second before slumping over onto its side, sending a billowing cloud of dust into the air. Zoid fluid leaked out of the hundreds of tears in the armour. The unknown machines switched their targets, now that the zoid that blocked their path was down. Their formation began to open up, as yawning ahead of them was the entrance to the Blitz Hanger.

Steve watched the battle with a mixture of awe and dread. Awe because his team was wining against the odds. Dread because his team was being chewed up. Nearly all of them had taken heavy damage, with three completely out of action. And they had yet to put down any of those unknowns…

Leena was firing everything she had at the unknowns when she saw the Elephander collapse. Knowing that she'd be next, she willed her weapons to punch though. As if in answer to her prays, the thing she was pounding exploded violently, throwing chunks of itself dozens of meters. The legs make a few more steps, then collapsed, flames boiling out the top where the body had sat. She switched targets, even as a hailstorm of fire tracked towards her.

Leon pushed the Blade Liger forwards as fast as it could go, Brads Shadow Fox right besides him. They both threw laser blasts at the constructs as they closed with the base. Most of their shields were failing, but their armour withstood the blasts…

Pierce knew she was going to die. With her chute failed, she had at most twenty seconds until she hit the ground. At the speed she was doing, it would be instantly fatal. She closed her eyes and began to pray, one last time…

Suddenly she heard the roar of engines as the Raynos dived down besides her, edging past slowly. Amazed, she watched as the canopy was flung open. The slipstream ripped it clean off the zoids head, sending it fluttering into the air. _'Oh god, he's not going to do…'_

The Raynos suddenly pulled up, the open cockpit moving underneath her. Pierce found herself falling into the Wild Eagles lap. The closing speed was enough to wind both of them, but fortunately slow enough to avoid any serious injuries. Her flight helmet absorbed the impact with the console just behind his left shoulder. As the zoid levelled off, she grabbed what she could to prevent herself being dragged out by the slipstream.

Gritting his teeth, the Wild Eagle slowed the Raynos down, so that the slipstream was not buffering them about as much. He set the autopilot to a gently curved descent, at the slowest speed the Raynos could handle. Once done, he let go of the controls to take a firm grip on the other flyer. Pierce also levered herself upright again, before looking down at the smaller man in admiration.

Leena was getting worried. She was clean out of missiles and her Vulcans were soon to follow. She kept her trigger held down, hoping for a miracle. Suddenly four missiles shot past her and slammed into her target, blasting apart the side units. Her rounds were now faced with a side that had no armour, and she quickly cut down the damaged unit.

"Thanks for the assist Bit." She flushed.

"Anytime."

Leon dived into the remaining two escort units, side blades fully charged and deployed. The remaining fully active unit got caught in the leg, the blade slicing right though. With one support cut, the machine couldn't maintain its balance and fell face first onto the ground, just yards from the downed Elephander.

The other escort was sliced apart at the point where the body joined the hips. The laser blade sliced clean though the turret ring and the machine fell to the ground in two parts, both bursting into flames.

Bard was pounding the last one when he was bracketed by fire. As the Fox shuddered, he remembered the other one, the walking nightmare. A cannon round pierced the Foxes eye and punched though the canopy. The concussion from its passage knocked Brad out. The effect was similar on the Fox: it collapsed onto the ground.

Vega watched as the Shadow Fox fell. Seeing how the remaining units were arranged, he knew what he had to do. "You guys stop that bomb!" He yelled into the mike. "I'll hold off Mr Ugly here!"

"Be careful Vega," Bit warned. "That thing's taken out two of us already. And it's barely scratched."

"I'll fix that…" Vega muttered, as he primed the charged particle cannon systems. He had hoped to never have to use the system again. The Fury warned him that it could only guarantee seventy percent power output. _'Should be enough. After all, full power was enough to destroy that judge satellite…'_

Leena poured her remaining rounds into the bomb-carrying unit, the things shield absorbing the lot. "Shit!" She cursed as the Vulcans ran dry. "I'm out!" The barrels continued to spin, hammers clicking on empty chambers before she let go.

"Get out of here Sis!" Leon yelled as he charged the bomb unit. "There's nothing more you can do!"

"I'll leave when I decide to…" she yelled back, kicking her zoid into high gear and racing for the hanger entrance, clearly the bombers target.

Leon leapt at the last machine, but he bounced off the energy shield. The machine slowed, before its body turned to face him. Leon gaped as it stared back at him while walking across his line of sight. He kicked his shield just in time, as the thing unleashed every single weapon it had on him. Cannon rounds sent ripples though the shield, while laser beams shimmered and missiles detonated. The shields power level began to drop rapidly…

Leon got the Liger to step sideways, hoping to get between the bomber and its target. It tracked him the whole way, raining fire on him at point blank range. A pair of missiles from the closing Liger Zero struck its shield, but the thing took no notice as it continued to pour an unrelenting barrage into the Blade Liger. Leon felt sweat run down his back as his shield began to falter…

Vega brought the Fury to a halt directly in the path of the walking nightmare. As he turned to face it, laser beams flashed into him. Vega scowled as he engaged the charged particle cannon. The Fury straightened, its body held flat. The tail straightened as vents opened up along the top and bottom. A barrel emerged from the opened mouth as glowing sphere of energy formed. Fearing that the system couldn't handle a large charge, and worried about the damage that was mounting, he fired the beam as soon as he could…


	26. To the Bitter End

**DR: **Bit later in the day than I intended, but anyway... Here we are people, the last part of this titanic battle!

**Shadow: **Less talk, more HERC smashing!

**DR:** Yes, onwards! I hope none of you have nervous hearts!

* * *

Chapter 26: To the Bitter End

Sarah watched as Vega fired the charged particle cannon at the most evil thing she had ever seen. The beam struck the things shield, and stopped. The shield was holding back the beam, though for how much longer, no one knew. The whole shield glowed, and a hole appeared to the rear of the machine. Quickly the hole spread; it was diverting power from the rear shield to the front to absorb the energy beam fired at it. It continued to return fire itself, laser beams stabbing back at the Fury.

Leena threw her zoid at the thing carrying the bomb, as she could see that Leon was not going to hold it off for long. Using the wreckage of another machine to gain altitude, her Gunsniper leapt into the air and came down on the bomb carrier like the raptors of ancient Earth. The momentum allowed her to punch though the weakened shields and strike the thing itself. The impact smashed the machines armour in and snapped a weapon clean off. The Gunsnipers legs were badly buckled, but it did cause the Headhunter to stumble. Of greater significance, the nuke itself was broken off and dropped to the ground.

Inside the shockproof casing, a timer started…

Leena pulled herself together inside her cockpit. Stemming the blood flowing from a gash in her forehead with one hand, she hailed Leon. "Hey, get him now will you?"

Leon's reply was broken by static, but she got enough of the message.

Leon dropped his blades and charged the machine as it turned back to him. His right laser blade slashed across its eye and tore the machine in two. As the Blade Liger landed from its leap, the machine toppled. Both halves exploded on contact, sending shrapnel flying. The Liger roared in triumph at stopping the machine.

Bit, seeing the bomb unit stopped, grinned as he turned towards Vega and the Fury. His grin faded as he saw that the thing was still resisting the charged particle beam, and was firing back. How could it do that? How could it maintain a shield and fire its weapons? What were these things?

Vega was getting worried. The Fury's power systems were being overloaded and he couldn't keep the beam going forever. Worse, this thing showed no signs of giving up. It continued to strike with its lasers, scoring deep gashes in the Fury's metal skin. In the back of his mind Vega could feel the Fury getting worried too…

Suddenly one beam slashed into the cannon itself. As the system failed, the Fury quickly shut off the weapon before it could overload, saving them both from total annihilation. Vega stared at the other, shocked at the sight before him. The thing was still advancing! There was some considerable scorching of its armour, but the single blazing eye stared back at him, pitiless hate within.

As he looked into that eye, Vega felt fear grip his heart. When he noticed the two weapons shaped like prongs charge up, that fear condensed into pure terror…

Bit was startled that the thing had taken everything Vega had thrown at it, and still stood! It was going to take more to stop that thing…

Suddenly twin bolts of yellow lightning leapt off the prong shaped weapons and landed on the Fury. The zoid convulsed as a massive electrostatic discharge played across its skin. Circuits fried, systems shorted, and the Fury bellowed as it was racked with pain it had never believed possible!

Sarah screamed as the lightning bolts flayed her son's zoid apart. Armour plating peeled back, allowing the bolts to dig deeper into the zoids vitals. Tiny crackling bolts crawled all over the zoid as it thrashed in the discharge.

Finally the discharges ceased, and the fury collapsed, blackened and charred. Minor tremors ran though the earth at the impact. The monster machine continued to advance, switching attention to the other zoids. Thin streams of smoke rose from the Fury as the Cerberus stalked past it, the many cannons and lasers on it already spitting fire.

Leon was the first to fall; a hail of cannon rounds ripped the forelegs of his Blade Liger apart in a shower of zoid parts. The Blade Liger dived nose first into the dirt, the impact slamming him into the consoles before him. Leon cried out in pain as he felt something in his arm give way under the stress.

The Raynos was next. Laser beams flashed around it, several striking it dead centre. The Wild Eagle managed to man handle the zoid away, but they were going down faster than he'd like. Pierce clung to him tightly as he wrestled with the barely responsive zoid. At last they were lined up with a stretch of sand. The Raynos belly flopped down, carving a long furrow behind it. Buried rocked scraped the underside as the Raynos slid to a stop. For a moment both pilots clung to each other, almost unable to believe that they had both got down without being hurt.

Bit felt cold terror build in his veins. What kind of a monster was this, which could bring down the most powerful zoid around with one single attack, after taking the zoids own? How could it place shots with such precision, at any range? The Cerberus switched attention to him, bringing the whole body around.

"It's unstoppable…" Bit breathed in terrified awe, as the Liger Zero took cover behind a convenient rock as cannon fire raked the air around them. Laser bolts punched deep holes into the rock, but did not burn right though.

**#Nothings unstoppable# **The Liger chided him.

"Then how?" In reply, the main screen displayed two words: 'Alpha Strike'. Bit looked at those words for a second, and then nodded. He felt his confidence return, and he gripped the controls tightly.

"All right partner lets try it!" He yelled as they leapt out of cover to confront the beast.

As the Liger began to charge up the attack, Bit stared into the oncoming machines eye. It stared back, a wellspring of hatred. Bit felt like he was staring into the face of the devil himself. For a second he doubted himself…

The Liger roared in defiance, and Bit's courage returned.

"ALPHA STRIKE!" He yelled as he hit the trigger.

The Cerberus's shield were still depleted from the attack by the Fury, so the small amount of charge was too weak to prevent the shock cannon shells striking the machines armour itself. The armour cracking shells did their job, weakening the armour to allow the following missiles to punch though. The micro-missiles tore into the machines heart, cutting a path deep into its vitals towards the reactor at its core.

As the LRMs pushed down into its heart, Bit looked into the things eye again.

"See you in hell!"

The next second he threw an arm in front of his eyes as the reactor blew. A blinding glare hid the detonation. When at last the glare faded, Bit looked again. All that was left of the horrendous war machine was a small crater, with a mushroom shaped cloud above it. The front surfaces of the Ligers armour were scorched black and blistered by the heat. Fragments of the machine rained down a wide area, testimony to the force of the explosion.

Bit was about to cheer in triumph, when Leon hailed him.

"Guys, we've got a problem here…" His voice filled with panic.

Turning round, Bit could see Leon standing by something, waving one arm, while the other hung loosely. Pushing Liger to run, he raced towards Leon. _'What now?'_

"What kind of problem?"

"I found the nuke. Leena must have dislodged it when she gave the bomb carrier a flying kick." Leon explained. "I just got the cover off. It's running on a timer!" Not good!

"Shit! How long have we got?"

"Less than six minutes!"

"Anyway to disarm…?" Leena asked from within her Gunsniper.

"I wouldn't even try," Leon cautioned. "I don't have clue how this thing works…"

"Then we have to get it as far away as possible." Bit stated, turning the Liger towards the Hover Cargo.

"Bit, this is a _nuclear weapon!_ It has a blast radius of at least a dozen miles! You'll never get it far enough away in time!"

"Is there anywhere we can dump it to minimise the damage?" Bit asked as he brought the Liger into the Hover Cargo. As the Liger settled onto the platform, he called for the Jaeger armour.

"If I'm reading this right, there's an abandoned mine fourteen miles north-west of here," Sarah called from the control room of the Hover Cargo, her voice shaking. The sudden realisation that the nuke could still go off overriding her fear for Vega for a few seconds. "Goes down at least three miles. If you can drop it down there, the surrounding rock should contain the blast and radiation."

"Well then, we'll have to try it." Bit stated firmly as the Ligers CAS completed.

"Bit, it's too dangerous…" Leena began to say.

"We've got no choice in the matter Leena."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Bit pushed the Liger Zero Jaeger to go as fast as it. He knew time was not on their side.

The Liger carried the nuke in its jaws, delicately enough not to penetrate the casing, which might cause it to go off. Bit had set a timer running in the cockpit, synched with the bombs. The Liger was practically flying, every system pushed to the limit.

Another ZBC Hammer Kaiser paced him. It had arrived just before he had picked up the weapon. Once Doc had told them what was happening, the Hammer Kaiser had released its payload of a half dozen Spino Sappers and begun to follow the Liger, to provide a communication link.

The Sappers had set about putting down the hostile zoids that were crippled but not deactivated. Medical and Rescue crews were already on-route from Romeo City, but unless Bit got that bomb at the bottom of the mine, there would be no point in the medics getting there: They were all still within the blast radius.

"Bit, listen." Steve called from the Hover Cargo. "According to the records, you're going to have to get the bomb down the main shaft first. There's an old lift that will lower you the whole way. The mine was designed for Guysacks, so the Liger is not likely to fit.

"Once you're at the bottom of the shaft, there's a set of rail carts that run all the way to the bottom. The miners used them to travel quickly to and from the working face, and to haul the ore they dug up to the shaft. It's downhill all the way, so if you can get the weapon in one of those carts, and get it moving…"

"It should run all the way down by itself." Bit finished, glancing at the timer. Four minutes, fifty-two seconds.

"Bit Cloud!" The Hammer pilot butted in. "I once did a security tour for one of those mines. They use two types of carts: one is motorised, the other not. For this plan to work, you need to load the weapon into a non-motorised cart, and release the brake. Otherwise the cart may stop at the first level patch!"

"Got it!" Bit answered. "Come on Liger!"

The Liger, with its jaws full, didn't respond, but pushed itself even harder.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Sarah stood back from the Fury, watching in agony as the rescue crews tried to force open the cockpit canopy. The massive electrical discharge had fused several servos and joints. Smoke still rose from between the sections of the zoids armour, and the entire exterior of the zoid was blackened and blistered. There was no telling what had happened to Vega inside…

Leon stepped up besides her. Seeing her turmoil, he put his unhurt arm round her shoulders. Sarah leaned against him, drawing strength from his support. Vega had to be all right, he had to!

"Heads up, I think we've got it!" One of the crew yelled as the Fury's cockpit was slowly pried opened. A thick stream of smoke leaked out as the medics rushed forwards…

For several long seconds where Sarah's heart seemed to stop beating there was silence, and then a medic called out. "He's alive!"

Sarah's heart leapt. Her son lived! But as Vega was lifted to a stretcher, she cried out in horror. His hands were blackened and his clothing charred. He was lolling around unconscious in their arms as he was lowered to the stretcher.

Unable to contain the emotions anymore, she turned to Leon and cried into his shoulder. Leon, despite having one arm in a sling, did his best to wrap his arms round her. He tried to comfort her as he watched Vega be carried towards the paramedic Hammer Kaiser.

A young medic approached them. "I'm sorry sir, but you'll need to board the zoid too." He looked at Sarah. "He's your son?"

"Hers." Leon corrected him as he gently led Sarah towards the transport. As they approached, he saw Naomi, Brad and Stoller also being carried in stretchers into the transport. Leena was able to walk, and was being escorted within…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Bit fretted as the lift slowly descended. Doc had been right: the mine entrance had been too small for the Liger. But luckily the main shaft was only a short distance inside. The Liger had lowered the nuke to the ground, before nudging it to send it rolling forward. It had reached the far side of the lift cage where Bit waited. He had started the lift going as soon as the bomb rolled onto it.

Now the lift was lowering them into the dark mine. It was agonisingly slow, a painful crawl downwards. Bit kept looking at the timer, willing it to slow down or stop all together. The insistent beeping of the bomb was driving him insane! But the glowing green numbers continued to count down to Armageddon.

Two minutes, forty-nine seconds.

At last the lift reached the bottom of the shaft with a jolt. Bit quickly raced out to find the right cart to use amongst the dozens arrayed before him. After much frantic searching, he found the only cart that he needed on a spar track. A motorised cart was in the way.

Cursing, he threw the controls of the powered cart to get it out of the way, before running round to the rear of the free wheeling cart. Luckily the powered carts were electrical, and drew their power from power packs that lasted years if unused. It rolled along the track slowly, taking the other siding, the wheels squeaking and grinding as it did so. As he struggled to push the empty cart he needed, Bit realised that with the bomb in it, he'd never get the thing rolling!

At last he had the cart in position. Racing back to the lift, he took a hold of the bomb and began to roll it towards the cart.

One minute, twenty-six seconds.

Once by the cart, he took a long hard look at how he was going to get this thing in the cart. It was longer than he was tall, and was almost a full meter in diameter. Seeing his chance, Bit struggled to lift one end. God it was heavy! Once he got the end to shoulder height, he managed to get underneath it and push the bomb fully upright. Now resting on its end, he quickly glanced at the timer, breathing hard.

Fifty-eight seconds.

Luckily the cart had a low lip, so Bit only had to tip the bomb to fall into it. Bit held his breath as he pushed the bomb towards the cart. If it should go off… With a resounding clatter, the bomb fell in to the cart, rattling around till it lay diagonally across the carts bed. After several seconds without a boom Bit released his breath.

Forty-seven seconds.

Rushing back towards the powered unit he had moved before, Bit hit the controls again to set it in motion, this time towards the cart with the bomb. Once the cart was moving, he rushed back to the lift, hitting the switch as soon as he was inside. With a jerk, the lift began to rise…

Watching though the wire mesh, Bit saw the powered cart reach the bomb. The collision resounded like thunder in the cavern. At first the carts didn't more but then they both began to roll towards the depths of the mine. The last thing Bit saw as the lift cut off his view was the bomb cart beginning to run away from the power unit as it rolled down the slope…

X-X-X-X-X-X

In the medical transport, the Blitz team rested as it powered towards Romeo City. Sarah continued to sob into Leon's shoulder, while Steve, Pierce and Jamie sat just behind the pilots, listening to the distant ZBC hammerheads reports. The pilots had thrown all caution to the wind, and were pushing the transport zoid to the max.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Bit tore out the mine entrance at full pelt. The Liger was already waiting for him, head down, canopy open. As Bit threw himself into the seat, the Liger was already breaking into a run. Dogging the canopy shut, Bit grabbed the comm system.

"It's on its way down!" He called to the hovering Hammer Kaiser. "Let's get out of here!"

**#No shit!# **The Liger bellowed as it engaged the ion boosters…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Down in the mine, the bomb continued to ride down the track. The cart had picked up speed, leaving the powered cart far behind. It tore down the tracks, passing though the points without slowing.

Eighteen… seventeen… sixteen… fifteen…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Bit felt his body being pushed back into the seat as Liger pushed for all his worth. They both had been told that while the mine should contain the bombs blast, it would still generate am electro-magnetic pulse that could cause significant damage to the Ligers systems. To tell the truth no one knew what would happen, since no one had ever set off a nuclear weapon on Zi before. All anyone knew was that being within the blast zone was suicide…

The ZBC transport was already clear, but the Liger was still within the danger zone…

X-X-X-X-X-X

The cart reached the final slope. Ahead lay the bottom of the mine. The cart rattled down at full tilt, screaming down the tracks.

The small wooden buffers at the end of the track shattered under the impact. The cart spun though the air, sending the bomb flying into the old work face. As it rebounded off the rock, a small rockslide was started, burying the bomb in rocks. The cart itself was smashed apart on impact with the work face.

Slowly the dust settled. A wheel of the cart continued to turn on its ankle, and from underneath the rocks the bombs timer could still be heard…

Nine…eight…seven…

X-X-X-X-X-X

The Liger flew along like a bat out of hell, pushing all its systems to the max…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Up in the medical zoid, everyone watched the timer that dominated all the screens.

"Three… two… one…" Steve breathed.

X-X-X-X-X-X

When the timer hit zero, the bomb uttered a triple bleep, before everything went white…

X-X-X-X-X-X

For dozens of miles around, people felt the detonation. Buildings shock, people stumbled and the ground heaved. Families clung together, dreading what could have caused such a tremor.

At the Blitz Base, the weakened building began to collapse as the ground bucked underneath it. The ZBC Spino Sappers staggered around, struggling to maintain their balance.

The ground above the mine bulged upwards, before sinking down again. A massive depression five miles wide was formed as the bomb vaporised several thousand tons of rock. The gases produced created a jet of flame that blew out the main shaft a hundred feet into the air.

The shock wave sent a ripple through the ground for another twelve miles. This moving wave of earth and rock tripped the Liger up, sending it flying though the air to land heavily on it's back. The EMP clamped down on the Liger, sending it convulsing…

Communications throughout Europa were cut off for several seconds as the EMP swept outwards, slowly dissipating.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Slowly the Liger came to. Groaning, it rolled upright. Every joint was stiff, and all its systems screeched in agony.

**#Damn! I do not want to go through that again!# **It roared, before turning its attention inward. **#Bit?# **It called in worry.

Slowly Bit penetrated the mist that clouded his brain. "Hey Liger… did we do it?" He groaned around the searing pain in his side.

**#We did it Bit, we did it!# **The Liger was relieved that Bit had survived too.

Bit sagged in relief. "Thank god…"

* * *

**DR:** Phew! At last that's over!

**Zeke: **And what a climax!

**DR: **You said it.

**Shadow: **But what did you do to me?

**DR: **Find out next time!


	27. Prognosis & Recovery

**DR: **Now I had better just mention that I'm no doctor (though my father is...), so please don't flame me for making an errors in the prognosis of the characters injuries...

**Irvine: **You really think that will save you?

**DR: **Irvine, do you wish to remain in here?

* * *

Chapter 27: Prognosis & Recovery

The waiting room where the few unharmed Blitz team members were shown to was thankfully quiet. As it was intended only for the ward it served, only relatives of those in the ward waited here. Since the attack, the officials had given the entire ward over to the Blitz. The crew of the delivery Hammer Kaiser had been taken to the critical ward.

Only four people waited there now. Pierce and Jamie sat side by side, glumly considering the fates of their zoids. Sarah stood staring out the window, looking out over the plains. She had wrapped her arms round herself.

Steve Toros sat to one side, a pensive look on his face. He was worried about his team's future prospects. How could they fight when most of the team members were injured and all but one of its zoids was totalled?

As the doors opened, everyone but Sarah turned to look, hoping for news. But it was only Derek Calisto. As he looked around the room, shock at seeing so few team members was clear in his eyes.

"I came as soon as I heard about what happened." He stopped besides Steve. "Where's everyone else?"

Steve jerked a thumb towards the closed doors of the ward. "In there. Most of them are just bruised and battered, but the doctors are worried about Bit's ribs and as for Vega…" He trailed off, glancing at Sarah as she continued to stare out the window.

"Yes… I can imagine." Derek showed again his intellect. "How bad were you hit?"

Steve sighed as Jamie stepped across. "The base took several hits, and the ground quake from the… detonation, caused a significant amount of extra damage. Fortunately we were going to have the base remodelled anyway…

"As for pilots, only Pierce and I escaped unharmed." He gestured to Pierce as she stood up to join the discussion.

"Nice to meet you at last Pierce. I wish it were under better circumstances…" Derek held out his hand to her.

"Likewise." She shook the offered hand firmly, if tiredly. "So you're the man who gave Bit the idea of hiring me and the others…"

Derek grimaced. "Perhaps not sure a good idea, considering what has occurred…"

Pierce waved him off. "No one could have known…"

Derek turned back to Jamie. "And the others?"

"Well, Brad, Stoller and Leena should be able to fight again quickly. Leena took a blow to the head, but it was relatively shallow. Brads got a minor concussion, and Stroller didn't take much more than a rattling, though he'll have a collection of bruises."

He heaved a sigh. "Naomi and Leon are likely to be out of it for several weeks. They both suffered possible broken bones: His arm, her leg. Bit might be okay, depends if his mending ribs held up to the strain of battle." Jamie glanced at Sarah before he lowered his voice.

"Vega's condition is the most worrying. He suffered second-degree burns to both hands, and the initial examination reported that the electrical discharge played havoc with his nervous system. We're still waiting for a more detailed report…" He shrugged.

Derek nodded. Jamie's summing up fitted with the rumours he'd heard. "How about your zoids?"

Pierce sagged. "Worse. Only the Liger Zero is operational, and its Jaeger armour is busted. The EMP blew out the circuits in its ion boosters. All the other zoids are going to need to spend a considerable time in a fully prepped workshop. Leena's Gunsniper and Leon's Blade Liger are both going to need rebuilding of their legs, while the Shadow Fox could use some of that on its right flank and canopy. The Elephanders front looks like a sieve, and Na's Gunsniper has the zoidian equivalent of a broken spine." She sighed. "My Storm Sworder needs a whole new wing and belly engine, while Jamie's Raynos needs a new canopy and a whole new set of weapons. As for the Fury…" She couldn't continue.

"The Zoid techs are not sure it will last much longer." Jamie told Derek in a quiet voice. "The damage was… quite extreme."

Derek rocked back on his heals. Anything that could tear the Berserker Fury apart to the point that it was doubtful if it could survive was a frightening prospect.

"Any idea who they were? The ones that attacked you."

"None." Jamie shook his head. "The zoids were unmanned. As for the unknown things… they didn't have cockpits. The one Leon disabled blew it self up before the ZBC crews could secure it. All we've really got to go on is scrap metal. The zoids themselves might give the ZBC a few clues though…" Jamie was about to elaborate when the door to the ward opened. A tired looking doctor stepped though.

"Sorry it took so long, but we had to be sure." Quickly everyone gathered round him. Even Sarah dragged herself away from the window.

"I'll tell you the cases in least hurt order." The Doctor looked at his clipboard. "Firstly, Mr Hunter, Miss Toros and Mr Stoller can be released tonight. None of them have any serious injuries, though they should avoid any serious activity for the next couple of days." Steve nodded.

"Bit Cloud is one lucky young man. Only one of his previously cracked ribs broke. The other resisted and has remained intact. He's going to have to avoid any form of strenuous activity for a while, but he can be released tomorrow.

"Mr Toro's arm is only fractured, not broken as we'd originally thought. He's going to need to keep the cast on until the bone knits properly." He flipped the page over. "Miss Fluegels leg is broken, but we have managed to set it and the two parts should knit again, good as new. She'll however need to be confined to crutches for at least a couple of weeks."

A terrible thought occurred to Steve. "What about…?"

The doctor smiled. "Relax. She warned us before we x-rayed her leg. Her child's fine."

Derek's eyebrows rose. "Naomi Fluegel is pregnant?"

Jamie flushed red as he nodded. "Uh huh. It's Brads."

Derek nodded, a slight smile forming on his lips. _'Wait till Anna hears about this!'_

"As for Mr Obscura…" The doctor paused for a moment. "…His condition is the worse. What kind of weapon was used on his zoid?"

"Some kind of electrical discharge." Jamie told him. "We've never seen anything like that before."

The doctor hummed to himself. "Well, that explains the injuries. I've seen the same kind of injury before, on people struck by lightning, and those who got themselves electrocuted." He looked up at them, noting the horror in their eyes.

"His nervous system took a serious jolt, but we don't think it's going to affect him in the long term. Of more concern is the fact that the discharge leached a considerable amount of calcium from his bones. We've already done the initial treatment to repair the damage, but he's going to have to go on a calcium rich diet to replace the lost mineral, otherwise his bones would be as brittle as glass. I'd like to keep him in for observation, but really we can't do anything more. It's all up to him now. But he's going to have to remain in bed for a week at the bare minimum, and then he can start to exercise gently, to rebuild his strength. Fortunately lads his age tend to grow quickly, so he should bounce back quite quickly. I'd like to have weekly checkups on him, Miss Fluegel, Mr Toros and Mr Cloud, if that's possible."

"What about his hands?" Sarah asked in worry.

"Oh his hands will be fine." The doctor reassured her. "The burns were only surface ones. In under a week's time he should have full use of them again. He might lose a little feeling at the base of each finger, where he was still in full contact with the controls, but it won't be anything major if he does." Sarah sagged in relief at the news.

"Can we see them?" Steve asked.

"I don't see why not." The Doctor smiled before leading them into the ward.

It was a small ward, only four beds. A small nurse's post was by the door, while a toilet was across from it. Beyond them were the beds themselves, arranged two down each sidewall. Bit and Vega were on one side, Leon and Naomi on the other. Leena sat in the chair besides Bit, while Brad was with Naomi. Stoller sat with Vega, and was the first to notice them come in.

"Sarah." He said as he stood up to greet her. As they embraced, he whispered in her ear. "He's still a little garbled and not making much sense I'm afraid. That discharge thing really screwed him up. He's better than he was though. He'll be fine."

Sarah slowly approached the bed where her son lay. He clearly was having trouble focusing, but he made a valiant effort. "Moargg…" He crocked, his tongue barely working right.

Sarah smiled down at him. "It's okay dear. Mommy's here." She gentle picked up one of his bandaged hands in her own.

Steve walked over to his own son. "How you doing Leon?"

Leon grinned. "Aside from the arm not too bad, all things considering." His grin faded. "We got hit hard didn't we?"

Steve sighed. "Yes we did. Nearly all the zoids are out of action, with the Fury the worst off. I'm not even sure if it can be saved."

"Don't worry Dad, you'll think of something."

Derek and Jamie stepped up to Bit's bed. "You do know how to get into trouble, don't you?" Derek commented with a grin. "Do you actively look for it?"

"No need. 'Trouble' is his middle name." Leena answered. "It comes calling."

"Must really cause trouble when you're trying to have a holiday huh?"

"Oh yea…" Bit breathed. His hand was entwined with Leena's.

'_Oh yes, Anna will love this…'_

"So, I hear that it was you who put the last monster down, and did the heroic thing and got the nuclear weapon to a safe place?"

"Could never say 'no' to being the hero..." Jamie stated.

"Well, this hero is calling 'Time out!' Someone else can be the hero next time."

"Considering our situation, let's hope there isn't a 'next time'." Leena cautioned him.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Derek slowly walked out of the hanger were the ZBC had placed the Blitz Team zoids. After leaving them at the hospital, he'd come over to have a look at them himself. Jamie and Pierce's assessments had been spot on. Nearly all the Blitz Teams zoids were badly crippled. The damage to the Fury was… horrifying. It lay in the hanger, a charred mass, and its eye's were dull. It was so badly damaged, some of the extremities were already turning to stone, a sure sigh of how close it was to death.

He'd noticed with some amusement that the Liger Zero stood guard outside the hanger, staring out over the plains. It was as if the Liger was expecting another attack at any moment, and was determined to not be caught off guard again. It was wearing the Schneider armour, and the laser blades glimmered in the fading light. It had looked right at him before allowing him to enter.

As he climbed into the old Redler he'd used to get here, Derek was thinking hard. _'Even with their recent windfall of funds, the Blitz team is going to be hard pressed to get their zoids battle worthy anytime soon. And the Fury's life is hanging by a thread!'_ Kicking the Redler's engines online, Derek racked his brains, trying to think of any way that the Fury could be saved.

'_I'll call him tonight, after I've called around the other team leaders. Maybe he'll have some pointers…'_ The Redler engaged forward flight, rocketing off into the evening gloom. Below the Liger Zero continued to stand guard for it fellow zoids, staring out over the plains...

X-X-X-X-X-X

The battered Blitz team moved into the Hover Cargo. Those who had only been lightly wounded joined Steve, Sarah, Jamie and Pierce as they were flown back to their base, or rather what was left of it. As they turned in that night, each felt the cloud of doom hanging over them…

It was only reluctantly that Steve Toros got up the next morning. Looking out at the ruins that had been his home, he stumbled to the main control room of the Hover Cargo. As he was brewing coffee from the machine conveniently placed there, a call came though on the Comm system.

"Receive!" He hollered, before taking a sip of the dark liquid. Turning, he found himself face to face with the ZBC chairman. Steve was so surprised he nearly dropped his cup.

"Sir! This is… unexpected."

"Sorry. I only just learned the full extent of what happened to you." The Chairman looked tired, as if he had not slept all night. "According to my reports, your team is badly battered?"

Steve nodded. "One pilot down for several weeks, two more for a couple of weeks, the rest okay within a week. Our zoids took the brunt of the harm. We've only got the one ready for battle. The rest are all going to need considerable time and money to get ready again. We're not sure the Fury will live in fact."

The Chairman's eyes widened noticeably. "Really? My reports didn't go that into that much detail."

"I'm afraid we're going to have to pull out of the season sir." Steve added glumly. He knew that if they pulled out, then there was no hope for the Blitz to recover. But unable to compete, what choice did they have?

"Nonsense. You will not withdraw." The Chairman lifted a sheet of paper so that Steve could see it. "The other teams have sent this petition to me, asking that the season be halted until you can return to the fight."

Steve felt his jaw drop. So did Jamie's and Leena's, who had walked in at that moment.

"But, that could take months!" Leena cried.

"Huh?" Sarah stepped in, rubbing sleep from her red-rimmed eyes as she stepped towards the coffee spigot. Leena knew the cause of that. Sarah had chosen the cabin next to her, so Leena had heard her crying late into the night, wailing almost silently about the harm done to her son and his zoid. It gave Leena an insight into the older woman, one she would never have expected.

"The other teams in Class S are willing to suspend the season until we recover!"

"WHAT?" Sarah snapped round, shock ridding across her face, driving away the last tendril of sleep. Pierce and Brad stepped in too, both clearly startled at the news.

"I did say that Class S is unlike any other class you've been in." The Chairman told them all kindly. "They won't take advantage of a team who has suffered an unforeseeable event, like what happened to you. They frequently hold up the season due to deaths of relatives and other such events."

Sarah had to sit down, her mind whirling. Never had she thought that an organisation based around gladiatorial combat would show so much honour. In the Backdraft, you show weakness and you were gone, cut down from above and backstabbed from behind. For all the other teams to willing step back and allow them to recover from the attack… it was unbelievable!

"But, we'll still have trouble paying for everything! Our zoids are mostly totalled! We barely have enough money for the critical repairs!" Jamie burst out.

The Chairman grinned. "I think you'll find that your money will go a long way over the next few days." Something bleeped at his end. Looking to his left, he was silent for a time. Turning back to them, he had an odd expression on his face.

"Listen, I just got a message. It concerns the Fury…"

"What? It hasn't…?" Sarah gasped.

"No, it's still 'alive', for now." The Chairman reassured her. "Actually, it was a message from your 'Admirer', who had that disk delivered to you."

"What disk?" Steve asked. Sarah frowned, before pulling the compact disk from the pocket she'd put it in as Vega had calmed the Fury… yesterday?

"Sorry. I forgot you didn't have time to review it." The Chairman stated. "Well, this 'Admirer' has given me a suggestion as to how to 'heal' the Fury. But I need your permission to do so…"

Sarah thought about for less than a second. "Do it, what ever it is."

"Thank you. I'll be in touch." With that the Chairman hung up.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Bit Cloud slowly drifted awake. The hospital bed was surprisingly comfortable and warm, perfect for snuggling into. Course, it would have been better if Leena had been with him…

Raising his head, Bit looked around the ward. Vega was still asleep, but he could see that Naomi was already up somewhere. Leon too was sitting up.

"Morning Bit." He called.

"Hi," Bit replied, careful to avoid calling too loud and waking Vega. "Where's Na'?"

Leon jerked his hand towards the small toilet cubicle. "Morning sickness."

"That must really get annoying." Leon simply shrugged.

A couple of minutes later Naomi hobbled out, supported by the on-duty nurse. Her leg was wrapped in a cast that ran from high on her thigh down to her ankle. Once she was returned to her bed, the nurse turned and saw that Bit was awake. Her face lit up with a cheerful smile.

"Ah the hero awakes." Bit flushed at the title. "How are you feeling?"

"Not too bad, considering." Bit thought. "Hurts when I breathe."

"Perfectly natural." The nurse stepped over to Vega to check him.

"How is he?" Bit asked, worried about his team-mate.

"He's improved already." The nurse sounded genuinely impressed. "Calcium content of his bones is already up over what it was last night. Looks like the doctor was right about him bouncing back."

"Great!" Bit grinned as the nurse returned to her desk. He sat back and allowed himself to doze. He only half-heartedly listened to Naomi and Leon talk about the new team members…

After several minutes the nurse answered the phone on her desk. After quietly speaking into it, she laid the receiver down and approached Bit. She gently shook him to wake him up again.

"Mr Cloud, I'm sorry to bother you but the press are down below. A few reporters wish to talk to you."

Bit thought about it. He had known the press would want details of what happened. Better to tell them the story rather than let them speculate.

"Okay, let them up. But only a few please."

The nurse smiled in sympathy. "Don't you worry now; I'll make sure that they behave themselves." It was well known that the staff of hospitals –especially ward nurses - did not tolerate any kind of harassment of their patients. She returned to her desk before speaking back into her phone.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Bit's head whipped round to look at Vega. Sure enough, the young lad was awake and watching him.

"Hey Vega! Glad to see you're awake! How you feeling?"

Vega grimaced. "Feels like my entire body is on fire, and frozen solid."

"Nasty." The nurse, seeing Vega awake, called the doctor up.

A few minutes later, the doctor and the press arrived. Surprisingly, there were only three reporters, none with cameras. But then again, the Press had always shown restraint and respect for celebrates, and zoid warriors in particular. There were those who tried to sensationalise any small thing they found about a person, and would dig into people's history for any dark secrets they could find without permission. They were considered the dark side of journalism, and were looked down upon by not only the public, but also their peers. It had been written into the code of conduct of the first set of papers produced that a person had a right to have a private life, and it was not for reporters to pry.

"Mr Cloud, thank you for taking the time to see us." The female reporter said gently. The two men politely borrowed chairs from Naomi and Leon's beds while she took the one by Bit. The doctor had already taken the chair by Vega.

"Hey, it's not like I'm going anywhere right now." Bit joked, and the reporter smiled. As the other two joined her, she schooled her face into a professional look.

"We've all received a brief summery of the events from the ZBC, but we were wondering if you could tell us what happened, in your own words. I suppose the first thing to ask is how does it feel to be hero?"

Bit shrugged. "To be fair I haven't really thought about it. But I'm not the hero. Everyone was."

"But you were the one to remove the nuke to a safe place!" One of the men butted in.

"True, but I couldn't have done it without the others." Across the hall, both Naomi and Leon smiled.

"We were attacked without warning. Most of our zoids were still in the hangers. If Stoller hadn't stood his ground, four of us would have been cut apart before they could engage. It was a team effort, everyone pulled together." Bit waved a hand towards Vega's bed.

"If Vega had not put himself in the path of the most horrific thing I've ever seen, Leon and Leena would not have been able to stop the bomb carrier. He bought us time to stop the weapon, and he nearly paid for it with his life." Bit left out the fact that the Fury was dying.

"Jamie also pulled a heroic move, saving Pierce when her chute failed to open. He performed a mid-air catch the likes of which I've never seen." He shrugged again. "And we have to thank Sarah…"

"Sarah? Sarah Obscura?" The same man asked.

"Yes, Sarah Obscura. She was the one to figure out what our attackers were planning. Without her warning, we'd never had pulled it off. It was a whole team effort."

"There are rumours the Berserker Fury is dying. Would you care to elaborate?" The other two reporters glanced at their companion darkly. Bit glanced in Vega's direction. Vega, watching and listening to the interview, nodded slowly.

"The Fury is… badly damaged." Bit sighed. "There is doubt about its survival. But I'm sure it can be saved."

"What would you say to the people who say that the Fury should have been destroyed once the ZBC impounded it?" The other two reporters were scowling now. They clearly did not like their companion's line of questioning.

"The Fury is not evil!" Vega screeched. Everyone turned to look at the raven-haired lad. His dark hair made a shocking contrast to his pale skin. "It's misunderstood!"

"Are you sure? Your judgement may be…"

"All right that's enough." The other male reporter cut in. He gripped the arm of the other man and hauled him to his feet. The lady reporter glared daggers at the disrespectful man as he was dragged out. Once they were though the doors, she turned to face Vega.

"I'm sorry about that. Seems our… companion is another 'sensationaliser'." She practically spat the label that had come to represent those disrespectful members of the press.

Vega sat back gently. "I understand. I know better than anyone what's wrong with the Fury."

"Well, thank you both for your time." The reporter stood up. "Oh, and I hope your right Mr Cloud. About the Fury."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Back at the Blitz Team base, everyone was talking about the surprise petition from the other Class S teams. Stoller was having trouble believing it, but it was official: Until the Blitz Team had recovered there would be no more Class S battles.

As Steve was stepped towards the comm system to call around the Zoid workshops to see who could repair their zoids at the lowest cost, he looked at the sensors. A large convoy was approaching.

Looking outside, he was amazed at the procession. Godos fitted with construction tools, Gustavs hauling multiple trailers loaded with building materials, construction/demolition Guysacks, even a couple of Redlers converted into flying cranes. There were several personal vehicles too. But leading it all was a variant Hover Cargo. Instead of the standard disc shaped zoid bay, this one had a simple boxy construct, studded with windows: a mobile hotel or apartment block.

All the assorted machines carried the same symbol, but only on the Hover Cargo was Steve able to make it out. It was the company that the Blitz had asked to do the remodelling of the base.

As the other Blitz Team members crowded in to see what was happening, the incoming Hover hailed them. When Steve answered, he was face to face with the company owner and manager.

"Ah Steve Toros. Good to see you're not laid up." The owner grinned. "You still want that base remodelling you ordered?"

Steve jerkily nodded. "Well, yes. But now it's going to be more of a complete rebuild. And I'm afraid we won't have the money to pay you, unless we don't get our zoids fixed…"

"Nonsense." The other waved. "We'll do the work for material cost only." At the teams' look of shock, the other man smiled. "Consider it our way of saying thanks."

"For what?" Jamie asked in a small voice.

"For saving all our asses." While the team tried to figure that out, he looked over the valley and ruins. "Listen, I'm afraid you're going to have to temporarily move. We're going to need the space. Good thing the ZBC has already cleared away the wreckage of the attackers."

"Ah, yes of course." Jamie quickly made his way to the Hover Cargos controls.

"Thank you. We'll pay back anything we owe you." Steve gasped into the comm.

"Don't worry about it. Like I said, we'll only charge you the material cost." The other man waved as his convoy began to encircle the ruins. As men poured off the vehicles and the zoids began to engage their tools, the other Hover settled down. "Why don't you head into the city to check up on your fellow pilots and your zoids?" The other man grinned as he pulled on a hard hat. "I think you might be pleasantly surprised."

As the Blitz Team Hover Cargo rumbled away towards Romeo City, the team could only wonder at the construction bosses parting words…

Behind them, said boss watched them go, before turning to face the ruins of the Blitz Base. "All right me lads!" He called out via his comm headset. "Let's get to work!"

As the zoids set to work dismantling the ruins safely, the workers scurried about sorting out tools and materials. In each pilots and builders heart burned the desire to build a new home for the Blitz Team, one they could be proud of…

* * *

**DR: **There, things are looking up already... Until next time! 


	28. Gratitude, Fusion & Rebirth

**Shadow: **Come on! What happens to me?

**DR: **Read and find out...

* * *

Chapter 28: Gratitude, Fusion & Rebirth

The Blitz team reunited outside the Hospital. Bit and Leon were able to walk out on their own feet, but Naomi had to use a pair of crutches. Vega was confined to a wheel chair, so Bit wheeled him out. Sarah took over for him as he embraced Leena, before they all started to return to the Hover Cargo. They stopped though, when off near the hanger where their zoids were being stored something lifted off. It hovered for a second, before rocketing away so fast it left a golden blur though the air. The crack of a sonic boom resounded above them.

"What was that?" Bit asked.

"I don't know." Jamie shrugged. "Maybe the Hover Cargo's sensors recorded something." But the sensors had not had time to gather any conclusive data. All they said was that a flying zoid of immense power had left from the hanger region. From the Doppler shift, the zoid had been doing at least mach five when it left the cities limits, and had still been accelerating.

As they approached the hanger, the team noticed a Great Whale King in ZBC colours landed just behind the hanger, while just in front of the Liger Zero – which was still standing guard – an old Redler had landed. As they disembarked, the pilot of the Redler walked over to them.

"Derek!" Bit called out as he recognised the Class S team leader. Leon noticed that Derek was carrying a small briefcase, at odds with the rest of his clothes.

"Hi Bit. Glad to see you're all up and around. Mostly." Derek grinned down at Vega, who smiled back. Derek squatted down so that he was on the same level as the young pilot.

"I heard about what you did." He told Vega solemnly. "You're a very brave young man." Vega flushed from the complement, while Sarah smiled with pride. To her, her son was the real hero.

Inside the hanger, the Blitz Team was rendered speechless. Doc had not got round to calling any workshops to repair the zoids, but there were people swarming over all of them. Mechanics dressed in a wild range of coveralls were working like the devil itself had told them to. Already the legs of Leena's zoid were straightened, while the Blade Ligers forelegs could now support its weight. A new canopy and guns were attached to the Raynos, while a new wing for the Storm Sworder was being lower into place. The other three showed signs of recent repairs too, and most of the work was well progressed.

As they continued to gaze around in awe, the local ZBC commissioner stepped over to them. The local City Security chief accompanied him again, but he also had a distinguished looking gentleman with them.

"Ah, I see you're here already." The Commissioner looked over his shoulder at the work. "Surprised?"

"Just a bit…" Steve gasped out.

"Where did they all come from?" Naomi asked in awe.

"All the hangers in the city, plus a few private people." The older man said gently. Now that they focused on him, the Blitz recognised him as Romeo City's mayor.

"But, why?" Brad asked in shock. "We haven't even asked…"

"They came of their own free will." The mayor stated.

"But we can't afford to pay all these people for their work!" Jamie quivered at the thought of the bill they'd get.

"They're not going to ask you for any money." The mayor chuckled. "They all wish to thank you."

"That's the second time some ones told us that they'll do work for us for free…" Sarah stated, her eyes narrowed. "What did we do to earn such gratitude?"

The Mayor's eyes widened "You don't know?" At the teams' blank looks, he sighed.

"The scientists had a field day gathering data from that… detonation. When they heard that an actual nuclear weapon was going to go off, many were so excited they ran about like headless chickens. Theory is one thing, but an actual nuclear explosion…" The mayor shook his head in disgust.

"From the data gathered, our scientists were able to work out how much devastation there would have been had the bomb gone off at the target point." The commissioner stepped in. "On a flat plane, everything within thirty miles would have been destroyed. With the base in a canyon, the blast would have been directed out of it, rather than spreading out evenly. Half of this city would have been levelled."

Naomi felt faint and had to cling on to Brad for support. Others in the team found it hard to breath. _'Half of a city just over forty miles away from the weapon destroyed…'_

"That's not all. The surrounding mountains would not have affected the radiation released by that weapon anywhere nearly as much as the blast wave. Radiation poisoning would have killed everyone within fifty miles. The more vulnerable people, like children and the elderly, would be dying up to a hundred and fifty miles away."

Such loss of life was staggering. The affected region would have engulfed another three cities, and an unknown number of towns, villages and farms. The death toll would have been into the hundreds of thousands. Whole generations would have been wiped out, entire towns turned into necropolises. Families wiped away in one go…

Movement at the far end of the hanger attracted everyone's attention. The doors to the inner hanger parted, allowing a slowly rolling platform to pass. On it laid the Berserker Fury. As it rolled past, the techs stopped their work to pay their respects. The Fury had stood before evil, and had bought time for the weapon to be stopped. And it had paid the price.

As it got closer, the Blitz Team could see that the Fury was even worse off. Most of the head and over half the tail was now stone, while the creeping transformation had reached the knees and elbows of its limbs. It was clearly losing the fight to stay alive. Within a few days, the core would falter and die too, and with it the Fury would be dead.

Vega broke down at the sight of his beloved Fury, and the rest of the team felt tears behind their eyes. It was like watching a relative pass away. Sarah tried to comfort her son, but she knew that there was little comfort for something like this.

Once the rolling platform had exited the hanger, its many small bogies twisted on their pivots and started to roll it towards the Great Whale King. The Commissioner turned to the Blitz.

"Please, go with it. We've been given a possible means to save it." Vega looked up at his words, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Quickly the Blitz followed the Fury, Derek in tow. While the Fury was positioned under the Great Whale Kings belly, the team was directed up the main ramp. Steve noticed the curious symbol on the huge transports side. A blood-red cross, edged in silver…

Inside the mouth, white-coated men led them deeper into the heart of the massive Great Whale King. Soon they were reaching the rear bay. They came out on what would be an upper level of the bay, but instead it was the floor. The Fury lay in the centre of the bay, the rolling platform gone. Instead chains hanging from the ceiling were being looped around it. A massive box outlined in yellow and black chevrons surrounded the Fury.

The man who had led them here turned to face the team. His silver hair matched the silver cross on his tunic. He looked at Derek. "You have the devices?"

"Right here." Derek held up the small case he had been holding. "Delivered to me this morning."

"Did the delivery zoid happen to leave here in a golden blur?" Stoller asked his eyes narrowing.

"Maybe…" Derek answered evasively.

"It doesn't matter right now," Bit stepped in before Stoller could push further, who scowled at being interrupted. "The point is how are you going to save the Fury?"

"For that, we'll need Vega's help." The man said.

"Me?" Vega questioned in confusion.

"Yes. I was told you have a connection with the Fury. At this time, it'll need something to hold onto, to help it return from death's door." He turned back to Derek who had already opened the case. He took out two objects that looked like comm headsets, though the one was shaped very differently. Passing the other one to Derek, the man rapidly approached the Fury. Other technicians appeared to be prying open the bodywork over the core…

"Vega," Derek began, kneeling before him again. "The man who told the ZBC how to save the Fury had these delivered here, since he can't be here himself."

"What do they do?" Vega asked in a small voice.

"They should allow for a direct connection between your mind, and the Fury's."

The team were stunned at the idea. How could one do such a thing?

"By linking the two of you, it should enable the Fury to hang onto itself, allowing it to heal faster. It may also come out the process better than before."

"Has this been done before?" Vega asked.

"Yes." Derek nodded. "But there is a catch. The process could hurt you, since you will feel what the Fury feels. Normally another would monitor the connection and not only suppress the pain, but also allow you to meld more fully, without risk of losing yourself. With these, you can only meld so far. Otherwise you could lose your mind." Derek held out the headset. "Do you wish to take the risk? I'm not going to force you here. It's your choice alone."

Vega stared at the headset for several seconds, before looking over at the Fury. He sat there for almost a minute, not saying a word. Finally he nodded.

"Yes, I'll take the risk."

"Vega…" Sarah began, worry in her voice.

"No mother, I have to do this." Vega said gently. He looked up at her gratefully, before he turned to face Derek. "Go ahead."

Slowly and with reverence, Derek set the device over Vega's head. Looking back towards the Fury, he watched as the sliver-haired man almost disappeared into the Fury's body.

"What's he doing?" Bit asked.

"In order for this to work, the other half of the set must be placed on the Fury's core itself." Derek told him, not looking away from the zoid, even when several of the Blitz gasped in shock.

At last the techs backed away. The sliver-haired man came over to them. "We're all set. Could you please step over here?" He motioned the team over behind a set of railing beyond the chevrons. Once everyone was clear of the boundary, he pressed the stud on the side of his comm headset.

"All right, we're all set down here. Lift it up."

With a clatter of straining chains, the Fury was slowly lifted clear of the floor. Creaks and groans filled the bay as the chains took the weight of the zoid.

"All right, it's clear." The chains stopped lifting, the Fury swaying gently. "Open the doors."

Suddenly the floor split down the centre, before the two halves slid apart. A purple light filled the bay from below. Bit shivered, remembering those purple eyes…

As the floor opened wider, the source of the light became clearer. A huge pool of thick glowing liquid, with steam gently rising from its surface. Pipes fed into the pool, and the bottom of the pool was hidden in the murk.

"A zoid birthing pool!" Steve gasped. "I though I recognised the symbol on the side of this Whale King!"

When the doors had fully opened, the tech spoke again into his headset. "All right, lower away!"

The chains began to crank again, this time lowering the Fury down into the pool. The thick liquid slowly covered the Fury as it sank deeper in.

Once the Fury was completely submerged, He spoke again. "Okay, release the chains."

With a snap, the chains above were cut, and the loose sections fell into the pool, making slow motion splashes in the viscous liquid. The Fury was now little more than a silhouette in the murky liquid, wavering in the currents.

Derek turned to Vega. "Last chance to back out."

Vega shook his head.

"All right… Just remember, you have to provide a calm point for both yourself and the Fury. If you can do that, it will greatly help the Fury as it heals. You must remain calm, focused on yourself." Derek told him, before reaching down and pressing a small button on the headset. With a whir, it powered up, lights flickering all over its surface.

The effect on Vega was startling. His eyes clamped shut and he gripped the wheelchairs arms tightly. Under the lids, his eyes quickly shifted back and forth…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Vega struggled to control the flow of images and thoughts into his mind. It was a torrent, a flood of emotion, feelings and memories. Images from thousands of battles, the faces of hundreds of people flashed before his eyes. His nerves fired again at the memory of those tearing bolts of lightning, he felt again his despair turning to terror as he released that the machine he fought was unstoppable…

…Suddenly the memory was torn away. Another came: a darken room, seen from near the floor. He was staring at a bed with two people on it, under the covers. As he watched, he saw one shift and sit up till he, Vega could tell it was a man, had his face in the moonlight. Vega was stunned to see an older version of himself! The face that looked back was at least ten years older, and had a strange red mark or tattoo on his cheek. The worse thing was that the older face was set in a look of superiority, of cruel arrogance.

The other figure murmured something, before raising a delicate hand to the older Vega's cheek. His face softened rapidly but jerkily, as if he had only just learned how to show happiness. He slowly lowered back down, while the other figure sat up. Long tresses of vibrant blue hair shone and the moonlight played across her naked back. At some muffled words from the man, she turned her head to look back at him…

Vega again felt shock. The face resembled his mother! While it was clearly not Sarah, it was equally as clear that they were related. Suddenly Vega realised what he was seeing.

'_Raven and Resse…'_

Again the scene shifted, and this time Vega was standing on the edge of a ruined skyscraper. In front of him, stood the largest zoid he had ever seen. It stood on the ground, but his eyes were level with the monsters waist! It vaguely resembled the Fury, having that same basic tyrannosaurs form, but it walked more upright. Looking up to the monsters head, Vega realised he had been wrong.

Before he had only looked into the eye of a demon. Here was the devil itself…

More images flashed though, but certain things kept coming though. A blue Blade Liger, with a small, silvery white tyrannosaurs form besides it. Raven standing on the edge of a cliff, destruction of a scale Vega had never seen…

Then darkness: the darkness of a tomb. Vega was unable to move, and he felt compressed and trapped. _'I know this'_ He thought. _"This is when the Fury was entombed…'_

That thought allowed Vega to pull back, to gain perspective. He was viewing the Fury's memories, but there were not his own. Remembering Derek's words, he pulled back as much as he could, focusing on himself. He imagined a tiny island floating on a sea of memories, with himself on that island. The sea tore at the island, but the island was unaffected. Slowly a hard patch of ground formed around Vega as he stared about. The sea surrounding him was a riot of colour and images, blending and shifting with each other. The sky overhead was a featureless mass of grey cloud, and the sea went on beyond the horizon.

Vega felt his eyes draw to a point in the sea, where the smooth rolling motion was changing. Slowly something rose from the sea, and stood atop it. Gazing at it, Vega knew instinctively what, or rather who, it was.

"Fury," Then another name rose from the depths of his mind, a name he had never heard before but knew all the same. "Shadow."

Slowly the form strode onto the small island besides Vega. Its surface firmed up and became a metal shape. It was a tiny Tyrannosaur zoid, much like the Fury. But the segmented metal work was a seamless, smoothly flowing form. The armour was a dark grey, with underlying parts even darker. Blue eyes blazed from underneath the sweeping brow.

…**_Vega…how? _**The thing didn't speak, but the words flowing into Vega's mind.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here to help you."

They stood staring at each other for a long time. Then Shadow's pose relaxed, and he nodded.

…_**Yes. I… need help.**_

He turned back to the sea, watching. Suddenly he snapped out his jaws, and latched onto an image. Bringing it to the shore, he laid the edge next to it. Before Vega's eyes the image shifted and turned to sand. It became part of the island.

Grinning, Vega began to assist…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Sarah sat besides Vega, watching his every move. Sweat beaded his brow at first, but now he seemed to be merely sleeping.

Leon sat besides her, sharing her vigil. The others took turns to come though, but there was little that they could do. All anyone could do was wait and pray.

Sarah continued to watch her son, desperate that he would not go. She had had too much fall out from under her already in her life…

Leon tired to comfort her. "He'll be okay. He's a strong kid."

"I hope so…" Sarah's voice broke into a sob. He wrapped an arm round her.

"I know so. He's your son, and you're one of the strongest people I know…"

"No, I'm not…" She sobbed into his shoulder.

"How so?" Leon gently asked. She looked up at his face.

"I told you how I came to be stuck in the Backdraft. But I didn't tell you how I got trapped in that position in the first place…"

"Shh," Leon brushed her cheek. "You don't have to…"

"No I do. So you can understand." Sarah pulled herself together before turning her head to continue watching Vega. She let her head lie on Leon's shoulder as she pulled up those dreadful memories…

"I was a really insecure little girl. My hair had always attracted attention, and not the good kind. With few friends, I became dependent on those I did have. I needed people around me, treating me like anyone else. The other girls tried to get my confidence up, and set me up on dates. But none of those ever came to anything. I was desperate to be considered normal.

"One night, I was stood up by my date. I was feeling totally alone at that point…"

Leon began to see the pattern. "Let me guess, some nice handsome stranger came along?"

"Totally swept me off my feet." Sarah confirmed. "I thought it was a match made in heaven, that we were destined to be together. He took me further than I had ever thought possible: Far beyond what I was ready for."

Leon grimaced. He was pretty sure of the out come now.

"Then I found out I was pregnant. When I confronted him, he simply said 'Tough luck' and walked out. I was shocked, so I grabbed his arm. I thought he loved me. He had said it many times…" Sarah choked back a sob.

"It was a lie. He had been lying the whole time. About his age, his job, even his name. He was even married! He had played me, used me for his own thrills, and then cast me aside, like I was nothing more than rubbish." Tears streamed down her face.

"I couldn't understand how I had been taken in. But that was just the first step. When my parents found out about what I had done, I was thrown out of the house were I had grown up, literally. Nearly all my friends cast me out, turned me away. A few were sympathetic, but only Stoller was willing and able to help.

"Vega's the only family I have left. If he should…" Sarah sobbed again. "… I don't know how I could carry on…"

"Oh Sarah…" Leon whispered, tears running down his own face now. He gently lifted her chin so that he could look into her eyes.

"You are not alone anymore. You have the whole team to help now…" he paused, unable to say what he had meant to say. He found himself sinking into those blue-green eyes of hers, so wide and liquid. Her face was completely open, not a shred of that old guarded look remained.

What kind of a monster could have abused this fragile child!

Slowly, he felt his head drop, and their lips met.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Vega slowly opened his eyes. His head throbbed, but he knew he had done all he could. With his help, The Fury had rebuilt it's shattered past, piecing the parts back together. In the process, the Fury had lost its deep-seated anger. At last Vega could see the personality beneath the rage. A mind quick to temper, but fiercely loyal to those who it respects. He respected strength, but had the intellect to know that there were many forms of strength, not just that of raw power.

Knowing now that the Fury was safe and would quickly heal in the life giving liquid of the Zoid pool, Vega had slowly brought his thoughts back to himself. As he opened his eyes, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye…

Turning his head, Vega couldn't help but grin, and blush, at the same time. He had known that his mother was attracted to Leon, but he had never thought it would have progressed so quickly! Nor that Leon would return the feelings!

He felt the Fury's mind join him. **_…What is it? I can feel your emotions and… oh…_** Vega got the distinctive impression the Fury was embarrassed.

'_What's wrong Fury? You've seen this, and worse, before!'_

…_**It's your MOTHER Vega! Why on Zi are you not freaking out?**_

'_Because I've wanted this for a long time now…'_

…_**Eh?**_

'_I want to see her happy again. To see her smile from joy, not because she has to or from the successful removal of a rival.'_

…**_That I can understand. When Raven found joy…_** The Fury didn't need to elaborate.

'_I think you'd better get back to healing yourself.'_ Vega reached up to the switch on the headset. _'See you when you emerge, my friend.' _And with that, he shut off the set. He fumbled for a bit before he managed to do so, since his hand was still not responding to his thoughts. Still, he had control of his arm, allowing him to simply press his wrist, which still had some feeling, down onto the control.

He watched while the couple continued to kiss, their tears of sadness drying on their skin. Leon had brought his free hand round the back of her head to caress her cheek, while Sarah had looped an arm over his far shoulder. Their eyes were closed as they focused on the moment.

At last they had to part for air, Sarah slowly smiling. It was a smile that had rarely graced her face. It was a smile of joy.

"That good was it mom?" Vega joked gently.

Sarah's eyes snapped open as she turned her head to face him. However Leon had yet to move his arm, so she ended up with his hand on her mouth. Leon too jumped at Vega's question. Startled, he quickly slid his arm out the way.

"Vega! You're back!" Sarah cried happily.

"See? I told you he'd be okay." Leon gently patted her shoulder.

"You okay?" Sarah asked Vega in concern, not even noticing Leon's hand.

"Aside from a bit of headache, I'm okay. More importantly, so is the Fury." He gestured down to the zoid pool below. "Don't let me stop you two." He grinned.

Sarah's face flushed bright crimson. "Vega, I…"

"Mom," Vega placed a hand on hers clumsily. "I know what you've been though. I know all that you've done for me, and I'll be eternally grateful. But don't you think it's about time you took care of your own needs?"

Sarah could only kiss his forehead in reply, tears of joy running down her cheeks.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The next morning the team gathered again on the lower level of the huge transport. The others had seen the way that Leon and Sarah stood together, but no one commented. Steve beamed with pride at his son, while Bit had slipped him thumbs up.

Standing before the huge zoid pool, the team realised just how big it was. It filled the bulk of the Whale Kings rear bay. The head technician stepped up besides Vega.

"Vega, could you ask the Fury how long before it's ready?"

"Sure." Vega quickly reached up to switch the headset back on. It took a few tries, but he eventually got it engaged. Now that he knew what to expect, he was able to ease into the link.

'_How you doing in there partner? Need the bath any longer?'_

…_**Oh no, I'm all healed up and raring to go!**_

'_Great!'_ Vega quickly switched the set off again. He had kept his wrist on the button.

"He's all ready."

"Okay. Control? Began evacuating the pool." He spoke into his own headset.

With a rumble of powerful pumps the level of liquid within the pool began to drop. Though the circular window in the twin curved doors, the team watched as the level sank down rapidly. The view was filled with steam.

"Pool's empty. Releasing the clamps…" someone announced over the intercom.

Massive latch like bars snapped back from the join of the doors. As they opened up, Bit noticed the Commissioner, Mayor, security chief and the nice reporters from the hospital enter the bay.

"All clamps released. Opening pool doors…"

Slowly the massive doors began to retract into them selves, the meters thick metal rolling back smoothly. Steam billowed out of the newly formed entrance, and within the steam, the silhouette of the Fury could be seen. It was clearly standing again…

Once the doors fully opened, everything went quiet. There was only the hiss of escaping steam. Then the shadow shifted. A foot rose, and then landed with a metallic boom.

Slowly the Fury walked out of the steam. At last it stood before them, proud, defiant and whole once again. There were changes in its appearance, Bit noticed. The most noticeable was that the armour had darkened, becoming a dark, smoky grey, like a shadow. The points where the old rotary arms had been now mounted universal zoid attachment points, allowing for a wide range of weapons and add-ons to be fitted.

But the most striking change was in its pose. The Fury had walked with a fluid motion that had none of the latent anger it had contained before, and its pose was relaxed.

'_I'll be dammed.'_ Bit grinned. _"He helped the Fury let go of its anger.'_

Vega slowly, clumsily wheeled himself over to the massive zoid. Looking up at its huge head, he called out "How you feeling partner?"

Bit had no trouble understanding the Fury this time as it bellowed out its answer.

**#Better than ever!#

* * *

**

**Shadow: **Oh yea, I'm back!

**DR: **I told you trust me...


	29. Return to Battle

Chapter 29: Return to Battle

After the dramatic revival of the Fury, that day only got better. The work on the other zoids was progressing fast, and it was expected that most of them would be fully repaired within a week. Even better, someone had dug out pair of ion boosters that fitted the Jaeger armour.

But the last shock came during the evening. The team had been invited to join the mayor at the Grand Hotel where the ZBC had held the pre-session ball. When they arrived, the team found what seemed like half the city there. Heads of nearly every business based in the city, reporters, ZBC officials, judges, and the chiefs of all the emergency services were gathered. Standing in the entranceway, gazing out at all those people, the team could only stare in shock. Steve turned to the Mayor. "I take it these people aren't here by chance."

"No." The mayor smiled. "Just a little get together in your honour."

"Our honour?" Stoller repeated, unable to take in the mayor's words.

Smiling, the mayor stepped over to a small podium that had been set up near the entrance. "Ladies and gentlemen." He began. "As you are all no doubt aware, the day before yesterday zoids belonging to a group or groups unknown attempted to destroy the Blitz Team with a nuclear weapon. This weapon would have killed thousands of innocent people, including the entire population of this city.

"Thanks to the courage, honour and skill of the Blitz however, that plan was thwarted." Cheers and applause drowned down his next few words, so the mayor halted until he could be heard again. By now nearly all the battered Blitz team were blushing bright red.

"In doing so, the team suffered terribly. Many of them will be unable to compete in zoid battles for some time. Their zoids suffered far worse. And their home was reduced to a pile of rumble.

"Thanks to the valiant efforts of our cities doctors and zoid technicians, the Blitz Team will soon once again compete. But such actions do not fully thank them for their self-sacrificing conduct, their bravery in the face of overwhelming odds.

"As such, it has been decided to do the following…" He turned to the ZBC Commissioner, who passed him a small wooden box. Snapping it open, he stepped back to the team.

"It gives me great pleasure to award to each member of the team the 'Guardian Force Civilian Defence Citation'." Another sweeping round of applause filled the great hall as the mayor presented the medals to each one of them in turn. The Citation, a hold over from the days of the Guardian Force that had kept the peace across the known world for over a hundred years, was the highest award a person outside the armed forces could receive. The prestige that went with such an award was higher than being part of Class S.

After all the medals had been presented, the mayor stepped back. "Stand tall, knowing that you are considered heroes by all the people of Zi!" Each one of them stood there, their hearts beating with pride.

Stoller was so stunned at this turn of events; he could barely maintain his composure.

Pierce flushed red, and had to fight to keep her chin up. When she noticed Jamie's head beginning to lower, she placed a hand on his shoulder. He glanced up at her.

"I won't look down if you don't…" She whispered teasingly. Jamie took the hint, and kept his chin up. Pierce could out fly him, but he would not be the first to bow down here!

Leon looked at Sarah, whose face streamed with tears again. But she was smiling too. He leaned towards her. "I expect you never thought this could happen."

"Not in my wildest dreams…" She whispered back, her eyes lingering on him.

Vega, unable to stand on Doctors orders, sat proud in his chair. His face spilt into a wide grin when he heard Sarah and Leon whispering.

Brad lent support to Naomi, their arms round each other. As she looked at him, she noticed a smirk on his face. "What's so funny Brad?"

"Oh just thinking I'm on a roll now." He whispered back. "I've gained three awards this week."

Naomi was puzzled. "Huh? What three?"

Brad looked her in the eye. "You, this citation, and this…" he gently laid his hand on her belly.

"Oh Brad…" Naomi simply melted into his arms as her face flushed as red as her zoid.

Steve Toros stood back, gazing out with triumph. But he was really watching both his children. At long last his children had found their happiness, and that was award enough for him.

Bit stood with Leena, their arms round each other. Bit glanced at her, and grinned even wider. Leena's face was a picture. Flushed red with embarrassment, she was grinning with pride. Unable to resist, Bit pulled her tight to him. The look of surprise on her face disintegrated as he kissed her. Whistles mixed in with the cheers as the two of them fell fully into the kiss.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The next few days passed by quickly. The Blitz Team stayed within the Hover Cargo on the outskirts of the city. One by one, their zoids were fully repaired and returned to them. Every one of them was in top condition, each part checked and inspected. The crews even refurbished the cockpits, restoring the padding in the seats and generally cleaning away the muck that builds up in a well-used cockpit.

Vega finally got round to reviewing the disk that had been sent with the Fury. It contained extensively detailed ideas about how to modify the Fury's weapons. By using a pair of hi-grade pulse lasers mounted where the rotary arms had been, the Fury gained a substantial ranged attack. With the lasers attached, the fury resembled the Genosaurer. To allow for the shield to be projected, four of the rotary blades could be mounted along the laser barrels. With these, the Fury would be able to generate its powerful shield. An interesting modification was the means of down grading the charged particle cannon to a plasma cannon. The modifications required would be expensive, but the end result would allow the cannon system to be used in either role. Quite an advantage if another of those things attacked.

The pilot's recovery was also miraculous. Vega regained full motion in his hands within the next couple of days, surprising even the doctors. Bit and Leon's bones were knitted faster by a course of drugs prescribed to them. Naomi's leg had to heal at the normal rate, since her condition prevented any drugs. Fortunately it was healing nicely, and the doctors expected to clear her for gentle piloting again within a week.

Vega was confined to his wheelchair for a few more days, and then he was allowed to begin to gently exercise again. He was warned not to push himself too fast, since if he broke a bone now, it might never fully heal.

All things considered, the Blitz Team was again ready for competing in Class S in just over a fortnight. Shortly after they sent off the message to the ZBC, they received notice of their first new battle.

It was against the Raiders team.

X-X-X-X-X-X

"So, what do we know about the Raiders?" Pierce asked as the Hover Cargo rumbled towards the battlegrounds.

"The team is considered small in size by the other teams, but is still a powerful force." Jamie told her. The entire team was gathered in the main cabin to discuss the battle and who would be going out. At that point the Hover Cargo's autopilot was steering. "They use tactical equipment and coordination to work together as team better, with an extra pilot in the back seat of their Blade Liger acting as a battle coordinator."

"Yea, they came so close to beating us last time." Leena reminded the others. She sat besides Bit, her head on his shoulder. During their stay in Romeo City, she and Bit had gone out almost every night. Films, dinner, romantic walks, the works. Quite often they made it a double date with Leon and Sarah, who was still getting used to being allowed to wander free, without feeling isolated. The blossoming relationships were a source of joy for everyone in the team, and quite a few outside it too.

"Really? What zoids do they have?" Vega asked.

"We fought a Dibison, a Zaber Fang, a Blade Liger and a Gordos." Brad commented. "All were heavily customised. For instance, the Gordos has a powerful energy shield system."

"The team is recorded as having six zoids since the start of the session." Jamie told them. "As of yet, they have not used the latest zoid they gained. The other zoid is a Command Wolf, and has in the past been used more as a mobile sniper."

"Is there any record of that sixth zoid?" Naomi asked.

Jamie shook his head. "None." The fact that he had not been able to find anything at all vexed him, and the frustration was clear on his face. Unlike in lower ranked teams, Class S teams didn't have to put all their team data on the network. It was part of the subtle way in which the teams tried to gain advantages over each other.

"Okay. So who's going out there tomorrow?" Stoller asked. It was a valid question, since both Vega and Naomi were not cleared to fight yet. "Remember, it's a 0892 with a limit of five."

"Well, the Liger Zero did pretty well, until they caught Bit out after he switched out of the Panzer unit. I didn't do so well, and Leena managed to hold out for most of the battle. Brad and the Shadow Fox won the match for us." Jamie quickly recapped the last battle, looking pensive.

"Maybe we'd better rotate us three…" Pierce indicated herself, Stroller and Vega. "Around one at a time, until we can get our feet in this class."

"Good idea. Do you want to go first, or would you rather Stoller did?"

Pierce glanced at Stroller, who simply shrugged. "All right, I'll be the first."

Leon grimaced. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to bow out. Piloting the Blade Liger's heavy on the arms…"

"Okay, so we have Pierce and the Storm Sworder…" Jamie looked between Brad and Leena. "I assume you two are up to fighting the Raiders again?" They both nodded.

"So that's three… unless we put Stoller out there, the other two will have be me and Bit."

"I'll fight." Bit stated. "I want to get that Blade Liger this time."

"Hey, I'm going to get them…" Leena cut him off.

"We'll both get him, dear…" Bit whispered to her before silencing her with a kiss.

"Stoller, you interested in rounding out the team?" Brad asked. Stoller thought about it, before shaking his head.

"Not this time. I'm afraid I'm still not quite used to the Elephander again yet. Those techs did it up so well, it's reacting faster than I'm used to. I'm liable to hit one of you by mistake." Chuckles floated around the cabin until they were stopped when Leena knocking Bit out of his seat when he commented that being hit by your own side was something they were used to thanks to her aim.

"Okay, so we've got two fast ground zoids, one heavy ranged attack ground zoid and two aerial zoids. That will give us the advantage of mobility…" Jamie began to punch data into the mainframe. "We know the Blade Liger acts as their mobile command centre, so that's got to go down first. The Dibison has been used as fire support, so that too is a key target." He brought up a tactical display of the battle site. Jamie noticed that while Pierce, Stoller and Vega were listening to him, Leon was only half listening, while the others weren't evening looking at him. Not even Doc was paying attention, as he had a model kit box in his hands. He sighed in frustration.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The next morning the team assembled for action. After a hearty breakfast – cooked by Jamie, Pierce and Sarah – the team got ready for their battle. After a last quick kiss, Bit and Leena scrambled into their zoids. Brad embraced Naomi for a little longer, before striding with ease and a bounce in his step to the Shadow Fox.

Bit decided to again use the Schneider armour. While the Liger was changing, he watched as Pierce and Jamie exchanged a quick word. While no one would speak about it, it was clear to all that the two of them were slowly becoming an item.

Shortly the team was assembled on the sands, the Liger Zero front and centre, flanked by the Fox and Storm Sworder on one side, and the Gunsniper and Raynos on the other. The Raider Team's silver and blue Hammer Kaiser was parked on a nearby bluff, but the team itself had yet to be seen.

Brad was the first to sight them. "Heads up, they're here. Doing the same trick as before."

The Blitz watched as the four zoids from before crested a far dune. They were well spaced out in two pairs this time. Bit hailed the Blade Liger.

"Hey Derek, wheres…" Bit trailed off as he realised the person in the back seat of the Blade Liger was not Derek. "Huh? Where's Derek Calisto?"

"My Dad?" the young lad replied grinning. "He's in our new zoid."

"Okay… so where is he?" Bit asked again. "I don't see him…"

"Bit, look again…" Leena called, her voice filled with worry.

Bit looked up. The gap between the two pairs of zoids had been filled by a zoid that Bit had only seen the once, but one he would remember for most of his life. On a recording of the fight between Leena and Harry, the one the Fury had interrupted during the Royal Cup.

Like the Fury, it was in the form of a Tyrannosaurus. Chunkier and heavier than the Fury, it still had an aura of dread. The black skin contrasted with the glowing red eyes and the metallic weapons and claws. Twin long barrels protruded from a mounting over its hips right over its shoulders, and a long barrel extended from the zoids forehead. Small guns were mounted on the zoids neck above each arm, and the thick tail lashed about behind it.

"A Genosaurer…" Brad muttered. The Fox howled nervously, taking a step back.

"Hello Bit." Derek called cheerfully as his face popped up a new comm window. "Ready for round two?"

"Yea, uh, mind if I ask, but where the hell did you get a Genosaurer?"

"The ZBC impounded the three used against the Fury at the Royal cup. About a month ago, they auctioned them off. We managed to get the most damaged one cheaply. Took all this time to fix it up." Derek explained.

'_This is not good' _Bit thought. _'I don't know a thing about those zoids, except they're bloody powerful…' _His thoughts were interrupted by the Ligers roar of defiance.

"You sure you can take him partner?" Bit asked with worry.

**#Oh yes, I know I can!# **Liger bellowed back. At that point the judge arrived. Bit hunkered down as the judge began its routine.

"**The surrounding 50 miles is now a designated Zoid battlefield. Only contestants and support personal are allowed entrance. Danger! The Blitz Team Vs the Raiders Team, Battle mode 0892. Ready… FIGHT!"

* * *

**

**Zeke: **Oh, a cliff-hanger! What will this battle bring?

**DR: **Find out next time!


	30. Round Two

**DR: **Here we go, round two comence! To make up for the shortish chapter last time, this ones a little longer. Okay, quite a bit longer.

**Pierce: **(storms in)WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY PAST?

**DR: **Bit been shooting his mouth off again?

**Zeke: **(Shrugs)

* * *

Chapter 30: Round Two

"Let's go partner!" Bit yelled as the Liger sprinted forward. Jamie and Pierce kicked in their boosters and rocketed towards the heavens. Brad and Leena raced to keep up with Bit. Explosions from the Dibisons initial barraged tore up the ground behind them.

"Leena! You hit that Blade Liger! Brad, could you keep the Zaber Fang interested?"

"Sure thing." Brad drawled.

"What about you?" Leena asked.

"Me and Liger will handle the Genosaurer."

In the skies above, Jamie and Pierce flew wingtip to wingtip. "So, who we going for first?" she asked.

"Since Leena's targeting the Blade Liger, I'd guess the Dibison." Jamie told her. "But watch it: he's a good shot with those lasers."

Pierce shrugged. "I can take him, one pass. But you're going to have to keep him distracted…"

"Okay, get ready…" Jamie rolled over and dived for the battle below.

Brad watched how the Zaber Fang moved. As they closed on each other, both raked the ground around them with cannon fire. Both zoids danced out of the lines of fire. Brad smirked as he continued his charge. The range was closing faster than the Zaber Fang's systems could handle. Within the cockpit Jane was frowning, as the Fox got larger and larger in her displays. _'He knows my zoids larger and more powerful, why then is he closing the range?'_

On the other side of the battlefield, Leena unleashed her arsenal at the Blade Liger. But instead of her normal saturation attack, she planed her firing to box in the Blade Liger. The Vulcans stitched a ling in the dirt, pulling the Liger up short. With the incoming missiles, the pilot raised the shield to withstand the blast.

But Leena had not only fired her normal complement of missiles. She had included the mortar rockets on the Gunsnipers back. These missiles fired in a high trajectory, which sent them over the top of the shield and down on the Ligers back. Explosions rocked the Liger, but it managed to remain standing. Crucially though was that the upper shield generator was damaged, rendering the shield useless. Leena forced the Liger to dance away from the ground being chewed up by her Vulcans, laughing wildly as she did so.

Bit and the Liger Zero dashed towards the Genosaurer. The saurian zoid was ambling forward, firing the pulsed laser cannons on its back. Liger Zero leapt back and forth to avoid the blasts, but kept on pushing forwards.

Jamie levelled out and began his run. Ahead was the broad side of the Gordos. Jamie had learned his lesson from their first battle; this time he was coming in from the side, where the AA guns couldn't track. With its powerful shield, he doubted he'd cause any real harm, but he only needed to distract the Dibison pilot while Pierce attacked…

Pierce rolled over and began her dive, arming her missiles as she did so. Jamie had warned them that the Raiders had an ECM unit on their Zaber, so she would have to get as close as possible before she fired her missiles…

Down in the Blade Ligers rear seat Derek's son, Nicholas, frowned as he watched the displays. The Blitz Teams Raynos had no chance at hurting their Gordos by itself. So why…

Suddenly it clicked. "Jacob, ignore that Raynos! There's a Storm Sworder coming in on your flank!"

"What? Shit…" Jacob swore as he swung the Dibisons head around.

Anna was beginning to sweat as she continued to dance the Blade Liger around to avoid the cannon fire from the Gunsniper. With her shield disabled, she would never survive another missile barrage. The only way to prevent a lock on was to keep moving. Ideally she would be closing with the Gunsniper, but Leena was using her guns to tear up the ground ahead of them whenever she tried to close…

Jane was also frowning. The Shadow Fox was still coming head on towards her. She was really beginning to regret not pushing for a pivot mount for her guns now, or arguing against removing the shoulder cannons from her zoid to equip the Genosaurer. Her cannons were fixed, while the Shadow Fox's laser Vulcan could pivot to any angle. She had managed to prevent him getting any good shots by flicking from side to side, but the range was closing fast…

'_All right, if you want to go hand-to-hand, fine by me! I'm bigger and stronger!'_

Jamie was still firing on the Gordos, but he had been watching the Dibison. When he saw its head flick towards Pierce, he banked and centred it firmly in his sights. Pulling the trigger, he watched as lightweight laser bolts stabbed into the zoid.

Bit watched as Derek brought the Genosaurers head up and the zoid seemed to crouch. Suddenly bright plumes blasted out the back of the lower legs, and the massive zoid rocketed into the air as it leaped. Derek was clearly planning on bringing the Genosaurer down on the Liger as it ran beneath him.

The Liger was having none of that, sidestepping so sharply that Bit felt like he had left his stomach behind. He also folding in the side blades as the Genosaurer slammed down besides them. Skidding to a stop, the Liger turned to face it.

Michael watched as the Raynos swung round to fire at the Dibison. As Jacob swung his zoids head back again, the Raynos began to bank the other way, which would take it across the Gordos tail…

'_I'll get you this time…' _He thought as he primed the rear guns.

Jamie realised almost too late that he'd be crossing the Gordos's tail. Reacting on instinct, he pulled back the controls, pulling the Raynos into a much tighter curve…

Pierce watched as the Raynos suddenly sharpened its turn to evade the Gordos's tail fire. As he swung back towards the Dibison, she saw the artillery zoid prepare to fire.

Suddenly the Raynos rolled though 180 degrees, before looping away from the ground zoid. Kicking in the boosters, the green flyer rocketed away far faster than the Dibison could track.

"Too slow!" Jamie's voice – the Wild Eagle – taunted.

Brad watched the Zaber Fang. _'Ordinary tactics would be for us to attempt to jump on top of the other…'_ He smirked again. _'But that's not what I'm planning on doing…'_ As the Zaber leapt, he tapped the Shadow Foxes boosters, sending the smaller zoid forward much faster. After a second, he disengaged them before priming his net launcher…

Bit watched coolly as the Genosaurer swung round to face him. Suddenly a fore claw shot out of the arm. It was still connected by a thick cord, disappearing into the Genosaurers arm. _'What the… I never expected that!'_ Luckily the Liger had fought Genosaurers before, and knew all their tricks. He simply made small backward hop before driving forward again. The Claw shot past the Liger, a clear miss. As the head Laser Blades begun to fold forward to form the buster slash attack, Bit noticed the cable being wound back in fast…

"Jacob, need a hand here…" Derek called as he willed the claw to rewind faster. The Liger was closing fast.

"Got my hands full here boss!"

Jane watched in shock as the Shadow Fox did not jump, but suddenly put on a sharp burst of speed. Her eyes widened as she realised what Brad was planning…

"Gotcha…" Brad stated with amusement as he fired the tail-mounted net-launcher. The net canister shot out, before blasting open and unfurling the net. The Zaber Fang had only got its forepaws on the ground when the net enveloped it. The electrical shock charge shot though the zoid, before it fell face first into the dirt.

Pierce spotted the Zaber Fang get caught in the net, and quickly acted. With the threat of an ECM gone, she primed her missiles. Once she got a lock, a quick double tap sent two high-speed missiles screaming down towards the Dibison…

"Oh hell no!" Jacob yelled as a siren screamed off in his cockpit, alerting him to the incoming missiles. He put the zoid into full forward motion, but it was too late. Both missiles hit hard into the Dibsions side. The concussion was enough to send the zoid sprawling, out of the battle.

Derek hit the jets again, jinking right and up. It played havoc with the claw recovery, but at least he dodged the Liger Zero.

Michael continued his stride forward, flicking control between both his side cannons. He was snapping shots at both the Shadow Fox and the Gunsniper, which was still keeping their Blade Liger out of the fight. But he had yet to hit either target.

Nicholas watched the displays intensely, trusting his mother to keep them mobile. "Michael, the Storm Sworders setting up for a strafing run, and the Fox is coming in!"

"Tell me something I don't know!" Michael yelled back as he powered up the shield.

Pierce watched the shield rise. As it did so, the speed of the zoid dramatically decreased. Like Harry, the Raiders drew power from the actuators to power the shield. With it up, the Gordos was slowed to a crawl. Flicking to her wing mounted guns, she opened fire just as Brad did so.

Leena unleashed another volley of missiles at the Blade Liger before pivoting towards the Gordos. Those near misses were getting too close.

"WEASEL UNIT TOTAL ASSAULT!" She yelled, a shade of her trigger-happy personality appearing briefly.

The Gordos was rocked from three sides at once. Leena's heavy barrage won out in sheer pounding, but Brad and Pierces laser attacks cut deep. The Wild Eagle also made a head on run, his lasers probing for weaknesses.

Anna saw a chance and dived forward. With Leena distracted by attacking Michael, hopefully she could take her down now. But she had to close the range!

Derek would have helped out too, but he had the Liger Zero to worry about. So far neither zoid had connected with either pulse laser blasts or laser blades, but this duel took all their concentration and skill. He was amazed that the Liger seemed to know how to counter every move he could think of… '_Of course, how stupid of me!'_ If he hadn't been in the thick of the battle, he would have slapped his head in frustration. _'The Liger has faced a Genosaurer before, as well as both the evolutions above it…'_

Pierce shot over the Gordos just as its shield failed. Her sonic boom rocked the heavy zoid as the Raynos whipped past, its own sonic boom adding to the motion. Brad continued to pound the much larger zoid with laser fire, probing for any weak points in the armour…

As she flew over the Gordos, Pierce spotted a charging blue shape. "Leena that Blade Ligers closing fast!" She called out.

"I know…" Leena's grin was positively evil. "I want them closer…"

Anna was getting worried. The Gunsniper still had not reacted to their approach. By now the pilot should be screaming for help and scattering fire wildly in her direction…

Suddenly the Gunsniper pivoted on one foot again, and Anna found herself staring down the multiple missile pods and cannon barrels.

"Oh hell…" She gasped.

"WEASEL UNIT TOTAL ASSAULT!" Came Leena's roar over the comm as the Gunsniper belched fire and missiles. Explosions and dirt hid the Blade Liger from view. Soon the cloud dissipated to reveal the Blade Liger down and out.

"I got them…" Leena grinned smugly.

Brad's laser finally found a weak point in the Gordos's armour. After blasting off the weapons on his side, the armour peeled back from the damaged points. Some shots must have dug deep, because the Gordos stiffed, then flopped onto its belly.

Brad began to relax, but Jamie's warning cut across his head. "Brad, jump back!"

He did as Jamie – not the Wild Eagle, he noted – instructed just in time. A stream of plasma shot by where he had been just a second before. Glancing right, he saw the Genosaurer standing on a dune, back straight, tail vents open and jaws wide. Clearly the Raiders had also downgraded the charged particle cannon to a plasma cannon. For a second he wondered how the Liger Zero had been defeated, but then a flash of orange behind the next dune showed him that the Liger was not yet out.

Derek cursed as he saw his whole team down. The Blitz had really sharpened their skills! That Life or Death situation must have really fired them up. Or maybe the blossoming relationships had catalysed them to greater heights…

Whatever had happened, he was not going down without a fight. Spinning the Genosaurer around, he aimed at the oncoming Liger Zero. Cycling the systems, he prepared to fire the plasma cannon again…

Bit watched as the energy built up within the cannon barrel, before glancing at the Liger's main display. Grinning, he looked up again.

Leena watched as the seven blades on the Liger swung round, till they all pointed in the same direction, forwards. The entire Liger began to glow, as all seven blades charged up with energy.

Derek released the plasma stream, praying that it would work…

The beam flowed around the Liger, repelled by the charged nature of the laser blades. The Liger Zero charged in hard and fast, and the Genosaurer was unable to move until the plasma cannon systems were shut down.

"SEVEN BLADE ATTACK!" Bit yelled in triumph.

Aware of the placement of the cockpit, the Liger aimed at the Genosaurers right hip joint. The seven blades sliced though the other zoids armour like it was made of paper. Both the right arm and leg were sliced clean off in one fell swoop.

As the Liger landed from its leap and the blades folded back, behind it the Genosaurer collapsed onto its left side.

"**The battle is over! The battle is over!" **The Judge called out over the sound of the claxon. **"The winner is… The Blitz Team!"** Liger Zero replied with a resounding roar.

X-X-X-X-X-X

At the after battle meal, The Blitz got to meet the youngest member in the Raiders. "So your Derek's son!" Bit crowed as he looked over the young lad. Not much older than Vega, the youth had his father's eyes and hair, but the softer features of his mother.

"Yes, he's quite skilled too." Anna told them as she laid an arm across her son's shoulders.

"Skilled? Honey, the boys a master tactician..." The boy's head hung a little lower.

"Didn't do so good today…"

"Hey…" Derek squatted down besides him. Raising Nicholas's chin, he looked him straight in the eye. "We can't win them all. And the Blitz Team has vastly improved since our last fight." The last part was directed more towards the other team.

Bit grinned. "Thanks."

The gathered pilots spent most of that evening talking away, Derek once again providing a fountain of knowledge about Class S for the newly joined Blitz team pilots. Jamie and Nicholas were off in their own little world, talking tactics and strategy. Derek noticed that Pierce seemed to be watching Jamie more than she was listening to him and the others. _'Is it possible that she has feelings for him? Despite the age gap?' _Then he remembered the other recent pairing within the Blitz Team that had rocked the world. _'If Leon Toros and Sarah Obscura can get together…'_ He reasoned, throwing a look at the two sat side-by-side as he did so. _'…Then anything is possible.'_

When their orders arrived, Anna chuckled with amusement at the amount of food on Naomi's plate. "I remember those day's. Constant hunger was a right pain." She shared a grin with Sarah Obscura.

"Frankly, I find it much better than the morning sickness." Naomi replied around her fork. "At least the food goes the way it should!" All three women laughed heartily, while their men all looked at each other, each sharing the same grin.

"Just pray you get a well behaved child like Leon was." Steve told them, to the suddenly bright red flush on Leon's face. "Me and my wife never had any trouble with him…"

"Dad!"

"…Unlike Leena." Steve carried on without appearing to hear his son. It was Leena's turn to flush bright red. "She was a right little terror…"

"Dad, stop it!" She yelled. Meekly, Steve quietened. The rest of the pilots laughed in good nature.

"So, how long before it is out of the question for Naomi to pilot again?" Brad asked quietly to Anna.

She shrugged. "I'd say, given that Naomi is a sniper rather than an assault pilot, three months tops. Course the Doctors will have the final say."

Now that Nicholas was stuffing his face with food, Jamie turned to Pierce. She had a down look on her face, like she was troubled by something. "What's wrong?" He asked in concern.

Pierce quickly shook away her dark look. "Nothing."

Jamie didn't buy it for one second, and his face showed it.

"Just a few dark memories, that's all." She relented. As Jamie continued to look at her, a shade of the Wild Eagle showed though. Clearly he didn't believe her.

Pierce found that she was unable to hold back anything from that young, honest face. "I'm not an only child." She sighed. "My parents split up, and I went with my mother. When I was about five she met a new man and remarried. Soon she ended up pregnant again. But…" Pierce's voice hitched. "She died in childbirth."

Jamie took her hand in sympathy. He could relate to her pain. His mother had died early in his life too.

"Afterwards, my step-father doted on his son and pretty much excluded me. We never liked each other in the first place, but we tolerated each other for my mothers' sake.

"After she died, I blamed him for her death. If he hadn't gotten her pregnant again, she wouldn't have died." Pierce shrugged. "As it turned out, he blamed me for her death, since if she hadn't had me before, she would have coped better with his child.

"My half brother had everything he could ask for, and turned into the most spoilt brat I have ever met. He could do no wrong; anything bad that happened around the house was my fault." Pierce's face clouded with anger.

"The little brat did most of the things he accused me of himself. He trashed his own toys so that his dad would buy him new ones! But if I wanted anything, it was always refused."

She sighed and her face relaxed. "His treatment of me was the main reason I left home so young, aged about twelve. But there was another reason." Pierce glanced at Sarah, happily leaning on Leon's shoulder as she listened to the general chatter. No one was taking any notice of her and Jamie.

"Before I left, I peeked into his 'special' drawer, the one he had forbidden me to open. It contained dozens of pictures of young women, some of them my age. On each was a little note, stating when he had slept with them."

Jamie felt shock run though his veins. What kind of a being was this man?

"He'd been playing with many young women from before he met my mother all the way up to that time. A couple of pictures had no notes on them. He was still working on those ones. One picture in particular stood out though. It was dated around the time my mother was seven months pregnant. The young woman in question was unremarkable, except she had dark blue hair."

Jamie's eyes shot open, and he stared at the blue-haired Sarah. "You mean…?"

Pierce simply nodded. "When I met her at the Backdraft, to say I was stunned would be an understatement. But imagine my shock when, as Vega grew, he turned out to be nothing like his father. I've kind of come to think of him as the brother I should have had.

"His antics are why I dropped my surname. I never wanted to be associated with that kind of scum again." She sighed deeply again. "Too bad I only found out too late that the Backdraft was full of men like him."

"Well, your free now. And I hope none of us are like that…" Jamie gently said.

Pierce looked into his wide, innocent eyes, a smile forming on her lips. "Not at all."

X-X-X-X-X-X

When the team returned to the Hover Cargo, Jamie found a message had been left for them. It was from the contractors who had been rebuilding their home base.

'Expect finishing touches complete within two days. Care to inspect our work?'

When the Blitz arrived in the valley, none of them knew what to expect. With the old base reduced to rubble, everything would be new and different.

Rounding the last bend, they saw that all the construction zoids were gone. Only the modified Hover Cargo and a couple of Gustavs remained.

However, the team's attention was solely on the new building that stood before them. Superficially it resembled the old base, the basic shape a filled in 'U'. However the whole structure was larger, and looked far better made than the old base had been. All the exterior walls except the flat end with the zoid hanger doors sloped back at a gentle angle, smoothly and without any flaws. The rows of windows along the side showed that the builders had put in two floors, with an extensive zoid hanger on the end. The hanger entrance was a bit below ground level.

The Head of the contractors was waiting for them at the zoid hanger entrance. "Welcome back Blitz Team." He called as they disembarked from the Hover Cargo.

"You managed to rebuild the base in such a short amount of time?" Steve asked as he shook the chiefs' hand.

"It's amazing what a little gratitude will accomplish."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but this base is different from the agree plans…" Stoller asked, eyeing the new building.

"Yes, your right." The Chief shrugged. "Since the old building was destroyed, we decided it would be simpler and cheaper to simply demolish what was left and start again." He gestured to the open Hanger doors. "Care for a tour?"

They started in the zoid hanger. It was larger than the old unit in every way. Wider, taller, and long enough to fit twelve class four zoids easily. The Blitz Teams collection would fit in with plenty of room to spare. The whole hanger space was cleaner, less cluttered and a distinct improvement on the old hanger.

"The space behind each hanger bay is a storage area for the zoids spare parts, ammo and such like." As they approached the far end, the team could see that not only was there a door at ground level, but also a set of stairs rose up to a second floor entrance. There was also an elevator alongside.

"Since we are technically on the basement floor," The Chief told them. "We put in an access route straight from the living areas. The rest of this level is support, like the backup generator, computer core – we managed to salvage the old core and transfer all the data across to a new one by the way – water recycling and all the other things you'd generally not want to deal with."

Moving up, the team entered the central living area. It was a large, airy space, with a large sunken area edged with three soft couches, enough room for the whole team plus visitors. The main TV screen was set in the wall in the sunken region facing the central couch. Off to one side was an alcove with a large table and sixteen chairs, all carved wood. Behind that was the entranceway to the kitchen, an arched opening with a solid stone breakfast bar running across half of it. Five people could sit there with ease. Overhead a large skylight allowed the sun to filter though. Between the sunken section of floor and the kitchen was the broad hallway leading to the front entrance just visible at the end. Directly to the sides stairs led up to the second floor, and a third set was next to the main entrance, with two doors across the hall, behind the kitchen. A smaller corridor led off the main hall, with a door between it and the stairs. Just beyond the seating area was another door.

Leena was puzzled. "I though you put in two above ground floors?"

The Chief grinned in reply. "We did, but the central area of the upper floor is replaced with an open air garden."

"I take it all the bedrooms are upstairs?" Brad asked.

"Sure. They surround the garden." The chief grimaced. "I'm afraid we haven't quite finished the interior on either floor, but we're almost there."

The rest of the ground floor was well fitted. The kitchen was spacious and well appointed, with lots of workspace around the rim along with a central food preparation area in the middle, and plenty of cupboards. A large walk-in freezer was just behind the kitchen. The door just in front of the main stairs led to the central computer room, while the side corridor was access to a pair of simple rooms. One was small and square; the other was wrapped around the computer room. Neither these nor either of the two rooms across from the main stairs had been done up in anyway. "We thought you should be the ones to decide what to do with these ones, but if I was living here, I'd turn this one…" they were in the larger room. "Into a gym of some kind, and leave the others for other things."

"Thick you could get a pool in here?" Naomi asked, hope in her voice.

The contractor thought about it for a second. "A small one, sure. I would say place it in this area…" He pointed to the smaller region boarded by the computer room wall and the stairway.

The last door led to a toilet, so the whole team went upstairs to look over the second floor. Once again, the chief acted as tour guide.

"Each bedroom has an en-suite bathroom..." Leena grinned at the idea. "And we got ten rooms total. Tired to get them all the same size floor space wise, but those four at the ends are a bit bigger."

He led them into one of the rooms. It was clear that there was a lot of room in there, the en-suite bathroom taking up relatively little space. Each one had a sink, a toilet and a shower. A thin wall separated the shower cubicle from the toilet. Despite the small size at first glance, there was plenty of room for each part of the bathroom.

"We haven't finished all the en-suite units yet, so you want some other arrangement, or if any of you want partitioning of your rooms, tell us soon." The Chief warned them as he led them back out to the central garden. The skylight in the floor for the lounge below took up most of the floor, and had a raised edge and surrounded by a stone path. Raised beds along the walls, broken by three double doors to allow access, completed the design. It was clear that everything was not quite complete. There were still gaps between the stones of the paths, and the edging to the skylight needed sealing. No plants had been planted yet, and everywhere needed a coat of paint. But overall, it was clear how the place would look.

"We're also planning to add a retractable skylight above this garden." The Chief waved his hands towards the sky. "That way in summer you can have this place open to the sky, while in winter it can be sealed up against the cold." He turned to face the team. "So, what do you think?"

"It's… wonderful." Naomi breathed.

"Certainly far more than we're used to…" Leon echoed her statement.

"This isn't a home, it's a mansion…" Pierce was clearly stunned. "All this for us?"

"Yes." The Chief smiled warmly. "As I said before, this our way of saying 'thank you' for saving all our hides."

"Well, now we're in your debt." Steve clasped the chief's hand warmly. "You've given us a new home."

* * *

**DR: **There we are, the Blitz are home once more.

**Fiona: **That's so sweet... (sighs)

**DR: **See you all next time! and remember, I don't own Zoids (or Earthseige 2, or any other bits that will come up!)


	31. Back Again

Chapter 31: Back Again

After that first win against the Raiders, the new and improved Blitz Team hoped to go on another winning streak. Expanded with the extra five pilots and zoids, the team would at last able to engage the other Class S teams on a level footing.

Back at the base the Team quickly moved in. The last of the work needed was done quickly and tidily, allowing the Blitz to start to bring their personal touches to their new home. Brad and Naomi quickly claimed one of the larger rooms at the end of the horseshoe shaped set as their own, while Sarah took up the room directly opposite them. She was not quite yet ready to share her bed again. The others soon sorted themselves out, with both Steve and Stoller either sides of the main stairs.

Their next battle was two days after the team first returned home. Bit, Leena, Brad, Stoller, Leon and Jamie took to the field against the Dune Team. While the other teams zoids were smaller than average, they made it up with numbers. Due to the battle mode, where the total value of all the competing zoids must not exceed a certain value, teams that used smaller zoids could easily outnumber their opponents. In the Dune Teams case, they had four Heldigunners, three Guysacks, two Stealth Vipers, and a War Shark.

"Welcome back to the fight Blitz." Their leader called from within the War Shark as the Judge arrived.

It quickly became apparent how the Dune Team worked. The Vipers flanked the Blitz, trusting their stealth systems. Everything else went under the loose dirt and sand of the battlefield. The Guysacks would pop up to fire salvos from their customised tail guns, diving back under the sand if anyone waved a gun their way.

The Heldigunners performed hit and run strikes, bursting up to fire short ranged bursts of gunfire or using their tail blades before disappearing again. The War Shark was so far bidding it's time.

First strike went to the Blitz, as Leena spotted another bulge forming ahead of her and let rip. The Guysack came up only to get blasted out of the fight.

Brad and Jamie went after the Vipers, who were sniping from the rocky regions bordering the field. They each nailed their targets, Brad slicing one in two with his laser claws, while Jamie's target lost its guns. It dived back toward the sand.

Stoller stood still, watching. His Elephander could withstand multiple hits, so he could afford to wait. When a pair of Heldigunners came at him, he aimed and fired just ahead of the one. His shots caught the zoid as it came up from underground. Smirking, Stoller swung the Elephanders trunk around and managed to grab the second one as it leapt at him. Swinging the smaller zoid around for a minute, he finally threw it up into the air. It came down again hard enough to knock it out.

Bit and Leon tagged teamed the other two, Leon slicing one in half, Bit putting his down with a volley of mini-missiles. The remaining Guysacks tried to avenge them, but Leena distracted them, taking one out. Bit got the other with a pair of LRMs, which punched though the thin layer of loose sand as the small scorpion zoid tried to escape underground again.

However, before the team could celebrate, Leena was hit hard from behind. The War Shark had popped up and took her down. The battle dragged on as the Blitz struggled to get to grips with the remaining two zoids, somewhere underground. Leon and Brad took severe damage from the War Sharks hit and run attacks, but the other pilot bit off more than he could chew when it tried to attack the Elephander. The shark leapt out of the dirt, bit down on the Elephanders back… and suddenly the pilot realised that that wouldn't be enough to bring the much larger zoid down. Stoller latched on with the trunk, before hurling the small zoid away. Leon finished it off with a laser burst.

The Last Viper surfaced to surrender.

X-X-X-X-X-X

While they were gone the contractors were true to their word, and got quite a modest sized pool into the 'Gym' room as it was being called. Due to the shape of the space it was fitting into, one side curved round in parallel with the outer wall. Where the internal walls turned back around the computer room, the pools edge shot out at an angle to the outer wall. No expense was spared, and the pool's sharpest corner was turned into a Jacuzzi.

Every room received a coat of paint, and the last of the work was completed. The roof-mounted retractable skylight was silent, and power and water were connected. Brad and Naomi's room had a partition added to go with their extended bathroom, screening the huge king-sized bed from the door. Steve had all the spare wall space in his covered with shelving, on which he placed all his precious models.

Vega soon began to use the newly bought gym equipment almost exclusively, rebuilding his wasted muscles. Naomi spent most of her free time in the Jacuzzi, sitting with Brad and allowing the warm currents to caress her. They had stopped by in the Romeo City hospital for a check up, and she had been cleared for zoid battling. But she had strict instructions not to stress her leg, and if she started getting any queasy feelings from her belly, she was to pull out of the battle.

Sarah soon took over all the administration duties that Jamie had been forced to do before, while both of them, Pierce and Naomi all had to clean up after the Blitz. Stoller and Leon were man enough to do their own laundry, but even then they weren't that good at it.

Naomi entered the next battle, and proved once and for all that she was the best sniper around, as the battle was against the Burning Rain team again. As the fight began, she slipped away to find high ground. While the rest of the team kept the other team occupied, she set up on a nearby bluff. Looking though her scope, she could see Bit, Brad and Leon dancing around the barrage fired by the artillery zoids on the other team, while Jamie and Pierce harassed the artillery zoids themselves. The Burning Rain Team had switched out their Cannon Tortoise and a Hellcat for a pair of Command Wolves out fitted for anti-air work.

Her first shot took down a Wolf, leaving a free path for Pierce to swoop in and take down the other one. Her second sent a Dibison sprawling, and her third put it down for good. While Pierce and Jamie strafed the other Dibison, She swung her sights back towards the others. She watched as one Hellcat was laid low by a swing from the Liger Zero, then noticed the other Hellcat de-cloaking behind Bit. With no time for a warning, she fired a round off right over the Ligers head. The round shattered the Hellcat's guns, and as the pilot reeled, Brad finished it off.

"Nice shooting…" Bit called, a little shaky. The Ligers roar also sounded a little rattled.

Naomi just smiled. It was good to be back.

X-X-X-X-X-X

"I have to tell you, your one lucky young man"

Vega smiled. It had been almost four weeks since the fight against the unknown machines. The Fury was practically climbing the walls, eager to compete once more. But Vega needed doctors' approval before he could fight again.

"All our tests come back green. The X-rays show healthy, strong bones." The Doctor summed up the results. "There are no medical grounds to prevent you fighting again."

Vega walked out of the hospital with a spring in his step. At last he was cleared to fight in Class S! Finally he could join Bit Cloud and the rest of the Blitz team on the battlefield.

As he and Leon sat in the jeep waiting for Naomi to finish her weekly check-up, Vega allowed his thoughts to wander back to those strange machines. The ZBC had published a report of its findings a week ago.

There hadn't been much. All six of the unknown machines had been completely destroyed. All that was left to go on was scraps of wreckage, the odd damaged weapon and the recordings from the team's zoids combat data. Certainly these things were powerful, but also resilient. Everyone was advised to evade them if sighted.

The zoids that fought besides them however were revealing more details. Each zoid had been heavily modified, with a mass of computer gear replacing the pilot's seat. Not one zoid had been piloted. But the changes ran throughout the zoids bodies. Strange components not natural to a zoid had replaced more traditional parts, and the command system was notable in its absence. That certainly explained how the zoids had kept on going long after they should have. Without the command systems to kick in and shut them down, only critical damage could lay them low.

The most worrying changes were in the zoid cores however. Instead of the smooth, perfect spheres that normally occurred, these cores had been mutated, altered. The pale white colour faded and darkened, and on the few still active, the core camber was filled with a blood red glow.

Vega hoped that he would never meet one of those things again, but somehow he knew he would…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Helios watched without emotion as the self-styled 'Dark Lord' ranted and raved at the strike teams fault.

"Helios, you fool! The Blitz team defeated your force. Worse, they got the nuke away from their base, and dropped it down a bloody mine! It did nothing!"

"**On the contrary, it has thrown doubt and fear into the minds of the people. The fact that a nuclear weapon was detonated has scared the world's population."**

"Bah! And what is the result? A few quivering hearts, and the Blitz team are now stronger than ever!" He stormed off, looking for a drink no doubt.

"**Maybe, but they are still a small group…" **Helios told the Lord's departing back.

Helios watched the man walk away from this discussion again, the third they had had after the strike groups unlikely defeat at the hands of the Blitz. Humans or humanoids, both were given over to illogical outburst of emotion – what a curious idea! – and disillusion. No wonder Prometheus had begun his war to destroy them.

But Helios had considered all the angles, and he did not feel disappointed at all. The Blitz Team was the most powerful team on the planet yes, but they were still only nine zoids. Once his construction bays were completed, Helios would simply drown them in units. They had barely survived the last attack, once he began to send whole armies out, not even they would live to tell the tale.

Helios focused on the man. The 'Dark Lord' was old, and growing weaker each day. Despite his statements, he was also losing his mind, dwelling on his past defeats, losing focus all too easily. Helios had to do more and more the managing of the agents, watching the headlines and all the other stuff that the lord had done.

The day when Helios could discard the weak human like being he had worked with for so long was almost here. Then, before his death, he would learn that Helios was closer to god than him…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Over the next couple of months, the Blitz Team forged ahead within Class S. People stopped whatever they were doing to watch one of their battles. And the Blitz did not disappoint. Now at full strength, the team were almost unstoppable.

Bit and the Liger Zero remained the most mobile and graceful of the ground zoids, weaving between weapons fire with ease. Brads Shadow Fox would disappear, and then suddenly strike from the flanks and rear of the other teams. Naomi was rarely seen herself, but her impact on the battles was clear. Zoid after zoid would fall to her precise shots.

Leena remained the artillery fanatic, but even she sharpened up, her barrages on target more often than not. Stoller became the immoveable object; taking everything thrown at him and throwing it right back.

Jamie and Pierce weaved aerial duets, their zoids contrails forming intricate patterns in the sky, while Vega and the Fury turned into whirlwinds of destruction, an irresistible force. And Leon wove between them all, countering charges by the other teams and supporting the Liger Zero.

The team did not always win, but they did win more often than not. And every battle was one to remember. The Liger Zero and the Fury moved with a grace never seen before, and the skill in the other pilots was unquestioned. Even those fights that the Blitz lost were spectacular, the whole team giving their all, and usually they only lost because the other team had luck on their side.

Their strongest rivals were the Raiders, and these matches were always the most eagerly anticipated. But even against the other teams, people watched in awe. Doubts about Sarah and the other ex-Backdraft members faded as they settled into the Blitz Team.

The memories of the devastating attack on the Blitz team also faded as they settled into their new home. The vast amount of space they now had allowed them all to feel comfortable without being cramped. The low quality takeaways and fast food was replaced with simple, but well prepare foodstuffs. The lower floor turned from a set of rooms to a home, while the upstairs garden turned green. Sarah and Naomi almost took over that garden, arranging plants for hours. They also talked about motherhood, Sarah passing on sage advice.

One thing Bit noticed, and commented on in jest at first, was that the skylight that took up the central region of the indoor garden had a raised lip. "We've almost got a preformed pool here!"

His comment set both ladies thinking, and when the team set off for their next battle, both remained behind to work on their idea. When the rest of the team returned three days later, both women were waiting, smiles on their faces.

"What are you smiling at?" Brad asked as he gently hugged Naomi, mindful of the expanded bulge of her belly. He could tell she was hiding something.

"Sarah and I have a surprise for you all…" Was all she said as the team entered the base.

The effect was all both of them could have hoped for. The others stood just within the door, spellbound. The light that came though the skylight into the lounge rippled and wavered, in constant motion. Harder shadows flirted about against the shifting light.

Grinning wider, they led the team upstairs and out into the garden. Bit summed up the new look in one word. "Cool!"

Both women had turned the skylight into the base of an indoor aquarium. The edges had been raised up higher, high enough to sit on comfortably. Then water had been added to form a large pool. The back wall had a broad curtain fountain falling from high on the wall down onto a newly added rockery, which flowed into the aquarium itself. The path at that end had been raised up an over the many trickling streams of water by a hand carved wooden bridge.

The aquarium itself had a small number of plants in baskets along the rim, but the most interesting feature was the brightly coloured fish that swam gently throughout the water. They had been causing the hard shadows seen below. As Leena stepped closer and stooped down, many of the fish swam closer, poking their mouths out of the water, the small stubby whiskers on their chins just breaching the surface. She smiled as she let the small Koy Carp suckle her fingertips.

"This is wonderful…" Pierce breathed in awe.

"So who's getting creative then?" Leon grinned as he hugged Sarah's waist from behind, his chin on her shoulder.

"Actually, this was originally Bit's idea." Sarah told him. Stoller and Bit stared at her.

"Bit's?"

"Mine?"

Naomi could only laugh at the identical looks of confusion on both their faces, leaving Sarah to explain. "Bit commented that with the skylight having a lip, we almost had a preformed pool up here. Both me and Na' were trying to figure out what to do about this, and his comment got us thinking."

"We got in those great contractors again," Naomi continued the story. "They were more than happy to assist us in doing this." She waved a hand at the raised edging of the skylight. "The local rocks around her provided the rockery, and the contractor chief knew a good garden centre that specialises in aquatic gardens. He and the boss there are good friends."

Sarah took over. "It was him who suggested the Koy. 'They get very friendly very quickly, particularly if the waters clear. Soon they'll be surging towards anyone walking close, begging for food.' He also helped us arrange the fountain and all the other waterworks."

Steve nodded, impressed. Brad however had a question.

"How are you going to stop the bottom filling up with dirt?"

Naomi smiled. "Every night, a wiper will slide across the bottom. Any muck that builds up that day will be swept away and down to the water treatment tank below."

The whole team stood there for some time, enchanted by the sound of the gently falling water, and the actions of the Koy fish as they swam about their new home.

X-X-X-X-X-X

As the season progressed, the Blitz Team continued to reach new heights, both in the class and at home. The new aquarium was popular, and now the team had old and new opponents over for dinner. The Blitz Base was a home now, cared for with the respect of one.

Leon and Sarah's courtship continued slowly growing, to the delight of Vega and Steve. The pair would go out together alone now, and they spent considerable free time together. Aware of her past relationship, Leon went out of his way to wait for her. He wanted her comfortable, not feeling rushed or forced into something she was not ready for.

Sarah for her part was at last living her life fully. She knew Leon was letting her set the pace, and she loved that in him. At last she felt could be a woman, rather than the cold-hearted bitch she had to become in the Backdraft. That sorry person was now gone, dead without any mourners.

Jamie and Pierce slowly grew closer too. The pair of them would discuss tactics, aerial combat manoeuvres and cooking for hours. Slowly the others noticed that the differences between Jamie and the Wild Eagle were slowly fading. It was as if Pierce's presence and attention were slowly allowing the two halves of Jamie's soul to merge together.

Bit and Leena's relationship however continued to be on rocky grounds. They would be cuddling happily in one another's arms one minute, and then he'd do or say something that set her off, with predictable consequences. Their stormy romance was a constant heart pain for Steve and Leon.

But the biggest pain to Steve was his forthcoming visit to the ZBC Prison. Dr Layon was due to be released with a week, and Steve knew that they could not afford to continue their feud any longer.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Layon sat in the room, waiting. He had been told he had a visitor, so he had been led to this room. Barely wider than a phone booth, it was divided in two by a transparent wall, with a desk each side. A pair of linked phones sat each side of the pane.

He had not been told who was coming, so Layon sat there, wondering. Surely no one from the Backdraft would be visiting. The Backdraft was dead, if the ZBC guards were to be believed. Since he had known about the real strength of the Backdraft, Layon suspected they were right.

'_So what…_' he thought, idly lacing his fingers. He had no ties to the Backdraft; in fact they had caused more trouble than they were worth. And they nearly killed Leena…

Movement out of the corner of his eye made him look up. Layon's breath rushed in though his teeth.

Steve 'Doc' Toros stood on the other side of the clear pane, looking sick, sad and worried all at once.

* * *

**DR: **Okay, let's run the check list once more. First aid kit?

**Shadow: **Check.

**DR: **Body armour?

**Zeke: **(muffled) Check.

**DR: **(shakes head at Zeke with his snout in the human jacket) Shields?

**Shadow: **Check.

**DR: **Gas masks and sleeping gas?

**Van: **Check... (drops sleeping gas grenade, the pin caught in his finger)

**Shadow: **You IDIOT!

**DR: **(Sighs) Till next time, when Layon learns the truth, and Leon and Sarah get closer... (dashes out of room before gas can affect him. Van, Zeke and Shadow keel over, fast asleep...)


	32. Old Ghosts, New Toys

**DR:** My thanks should go to my beta-reader for this chapter, since he gave me the main idea...

**Vega: **Did I hear you right when you said there was 'moment' in this chapter that concerns my Mom?

**DR: **Yea... something wrong with that?

**Vega: **Nope. (Grins)

* * *

Chapter 32: Old Ghosts, New Toys

Steve sat down opposite Layon, slowly picking up the phone. After a few seconds, Layon did the same for the other end.

"Well, well, old 'Doc' Toros comes to visit." Layon all but snarled down the line.

"Layon," Steve tried to remain calm. "Can we at least try to be civil to each other?"

"Why should I be?" Layon shot back.

"Harassing me or my daughter won't bring her back…"

"She would never have died if she had been with me!"

Steve forced the words out. "Layon, do you remember the invitation you received, right before…" He couldn't continue.

Layon slowly nodded, all anger draining away. When he had heard about Sandra's death, he had been unable to do anything but cry into his pillows for several days. As he sat there, he could see the pain riding across Steve's face, showing how much he had suffered that day too.

"We were planning on telling you everything, at that party…"

"I already know everything!" Layon snapped. "You had no intention of signing that letter with my name!"

Steve allowed Layon to continue to rant for several minutes. Better to get Layon all tired out before he dropped the bombshell. At last the other man ran out of words, but he continued to glare at Steve.

"Layon, I didn't write it."

Layon's eyes snapped open, and then they narrowed.

"You asked me to do it since you couldn't write poetry and love letters properly. You never gave me a chance to tell you…"

"What?"

"I can't either."

"Then who…?" Then the answer shot right though Layon's skull like a bullet, and ricocheted around there. "Oscar?" He asked in a small, quiet voice.

Steve could only nod. As Layon continued to stare blankly, Steve gently explained.

"I had no skill, so I went to Oscar. But he signed my name by mistake."

"That's no excuse to take her though!" Layon snarled. "You could have told her the truth then, but no… you had to have her yourself!" Steve sighed.

"Thing is, I did love her, but it took that mistake on Oscars part to show me. Layon," He looked the other man in the eye. "She loved all three of us, but she only loved one of us as a man. The other two were brothers to her."

Layon slumped back, lost in his mind while Steve continued. "She could never have returned your affections Layon. I hate to say it but it's true. You remember how she was about the truth."

A small part of Layon's brain was still working, and automatically dragged a small smile onto his lips at Steve's reminder. Sandra had always been very forthright, and almost demanded others to be to the same standard. How the hell she got so involved with them he never could figure out.

"She told me, you were her substitute little brother, since she never had any brothers, while Oscar became a sort of older one."

Steve heaved another long sigh. "Why she loved me as man rather than a brother I'll never really know. But when she found out about what happened over those few days, she was determined to reveal all. Our break up really hurt her."

Layon slowly pulled himself back to the world. "Why haven't you said anything before, and why has Oscar never said anything either?"

"Myself? I don't really know. After her…" Steve hesitated. "…Passing, I was too distraught to really give it much thought. And then I had to raise two kids all by myself." Steve shrugged. "As for Oscar, I can't say. Maybe self preservation." He looked at Layon again. "So, now you know the truth. Can we start over again?"

Layon sat there for a long time. Finally he looked up at Steve. "I don't think so Steve. Too much has happened." Steve let his shoulders slump in defeat.

"I won't be coming after you, if that's want your afraid of." Layon continued. "I need to think long and hard about this. About my life." Suddenly he leaned forward, conspiratorially.

"I hear you now have the Berserker Fury in your team?"

"Yes…" Steve wondered where Layon was going with this line of thought.

"Listen, before the Royal Cup, Sarah asked me if it was possible to create a CAS for the Fury, just like the Liger Zero has." Layon was almost whispering. "I didn't get round to finishing the first one, based on the idea of the Jaeger armour. But what I did complete is well hidden."

Steve leaned forward himself, a child like wonder on his face. "Really? Where?"

Layon laughed. "Our old stomping grounds, amongst the rubble. The keypad needed to open the vault is hidden under the only one of the old photos not destroyed in the fire." The fire Layon started when he blew the old bar up, but neither man mentioned that.

Layon whispered a series of numbers into the phone, before hanging up and walking back to the door behind him. Steve slowly replaced his receiver, shock riding all over his face.

X-X-X-X-X-X

In the corridor outside the room, Oscar sat waiting. He had come along to support Steve if needed. He knew the way things were likely to turn out - Layon would turn his vengeance on him too. But at least the ghosts of the past would be laid to rest at last.

He jumped as Steve stepped out. Oscar frowned at the mixed look on his face. Child like wonder and excitement warred with deep shock.

"You all right Steve?" He asked gently, concerned about his old friend.

"Yea, I'm fine." Steve continued to walk, not looking back. Oscar fell in step besides him, wondering what had been said in there.

"Oscar?"

"Hmm?"

"You have anything planed in the next couple of days?"

"No, why?"

Steve at last grinned. "I think Layon wishes to send a certain young lad a present. But we'll need a Gustav to bring it back to the Blitz Base. And If I'm right, it'll be at least a two man job."

Oscar thought about the idea for a half second, before nodding. "Okay, where we going?"

"You'll never believe it, but…"

X-X-X-X-X-X

Leena sat by the new pool, watching the Koy swim about. Ever since Sarah and Naomi had had the pool added, the fishes had fascinated Leena. They swam about without a care in the world; the only thing on their minds was food. A bit like some people she knew very well…

As if in response to her thoughts, Bit Cloud crouched down besides her, sliding an arm round her waist as he did so. She lent into his embrace, grateful for his presence.

"You okay?" He asked. "You've been awfully quiet the last couple of days."

"I'm fine."

Bit didn't buy it for a minute, but decided, wisely, not to push. Leena was still a highly volatile person. It was never a good idea to get her annoyed, as Bit knew all too well. Instead he gestured to the fish, which had come surging across to them when he stepped close, begging for food. The way they stuck their mouths out of the water, lipless mouths opening and closing, was almost comical, and certainly relaxing.

"Insatiable appetites they have, don't they?"

"Yes…" Leena almost cooed.

Bit was silent for a time. "Maybe we ought to do something to thank them both for this." He wondered aloud. Leena brought her head round to look him in the eye.

"Like what?"

"Well for a start, Naomi's birthday's coming up soon…" Bit suggested. At her questioning look, he shrugged. "Saw the date in our database. Point is we could get her something…"

"And what exactly do we give her? And what about Sarah?"

Bit slumped his shoulders in defeat. "I don't any ideas Leena. What does a three month pregnant women want?"

Leena chuckled at the crestfallen look on his face. "You'd best leave this to me…" She said as she gave him a gentle kiss. It had been intended only to be a quick one, but the longer her lips rested on his, the less she wanted to pull away. Their arms wrapped round each other lovingly. Despite the strained relationship between the two of them, neither of them could deny that they were attracted to each other.

At last a deep metallic rumble from outside brought them out. With the roof skylight open, the sound of an approaching Gustav was clear.

"Wonder if that's Dad coming back…" She murmured.

"Yea, I wonder why he and Oscar went off so soon after coming back from visiting Layon…"

"Guess we'd better go and see…" She sighed as they stood up together. Knowing her father, it was likely to be bad news for their accounts…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Soon the team gathered in the hanger. The Gustav, Naomi's that Steve had borrowed, was parked in the centre of the hanger with the trailer stopped just before the Fury. A large tarpaulin covered something on it.

"So what have you got now dad?" Leena asked, silently calculating the cost of something that large. Her eyes narrowed as the figures rose.

Steve smiled in return. "A present, from Dr Layon."

"Layon?" Leena's eyes snapped open. What could he have sent now? Sarah's narrowed as she thought about what Layon could have sent.

"Well, what is it?" Vega asked.

Steve beamed at Sarah. "Layon told me you asked him to look into making a set of conversion armours for the Fury."

Sarah nodded slowly. "Yes, though I never expected him to complete anything before the Royal Cup…"

"Well, he almost finished this one." Oscar said as he pulled away the tarp. Beneath were two massive wedges, each roughly the same size as the Fury's thigh. They were unpainted, and some panels were missing. The smaller ends were intake vents, while inside the main sections parts of ion engines could be seen. Laying along side the wedges were two large thin wings, with the bases having intricate mechanisms…

Bit grinned. "Let me guess. It's intended as the Fury's version of Jaeger."

Steve grinned again. "Correct. He called it the 'Storm Unit', since it would 'take the ZBC by storm'." He shrugged at Layon's choice of words. "They were intended to replace the rotary arms, but give the Fury incredible speed." Steve looked apologetically at Vega. "You'll lose both the lasers and the shield, but with the speed you'd get out of this…" He patted the nearest unit as joy rode up his face. "…You'll be able to evade almost anything!"

"Cool!" Vega grinned.

X-X-X-X-X-X

"So what do you think, about Layon's 'Storm Unit'?"

Sarah sighed. "Could be useful, but I'm worried that Vega may not be able to take such high speeds…"

Leon gently lifted her chin with his hand. "Hey, he's a strong kid. He'll handle it. If Bit can handle the Jaeger…"

"I know…"

Both of them sat at the poolside as dusk fell that night. Vega and Steve were still fawning over the partly assembled Storm Unit in the hanger, while the rest of the team were downstairs, watching some film. Leon loved sitting here with her. The calmness of the place was a relaxing change from the pace of the Blitz Team. The gentle tinkling of the waterfall was very conductive to peace and tranquillity, while the growing plants filled the air with rich scents, which soothed even Bit and Leena. As the evening had progressed they had closed the upper skylight, but through the clear glass panes the stars far above twinkled gentle.

Leon gently drew her into a hug, and she gratefully fell into it. She found it reassuring to be encircled by his arms, his strength nourishing her. There, she felt truly safe for the first time in her life that she could recall. Leon for his part felt complete like never before. He had always known that for each person there was an ideal zoid partner, and he had assumed that the same held true for people. But he had never in his wildest dreams thought that he would be lucky enough to find his! And for it to be Sarah Obscura, no less!

They sat there together for a long time, not saying a word. No sound from below interrupted them, as the flooring was both thick and highly sound proofed. They only moved when Sarah cracked a yawn.

"Sorry. Guess I'm more tired than I thought." She said sleepily.

"That's okay. I'm feeling a little tired myself." He slowly let her go. "I think we'd best turn in."

They stepped though the double doors that entered the half of the horseshoe that both their rooms were on. But as Leon started to head right, Sarah held onto his hand.

He looked at her in confusion. "Sarah?"

She looked nervously at him. "Leon, I… was wondering…"

"Yes?" He asked gently, stepping closer.

"…Well, could you… I mean… stay with me tonight?"

Leon felt his jaw drop as his heart shot to the moon.

"We won't, you know…" Sarah continued, smiling slightly as she blushed. "But we can sleep besides each." She stepped closer. "To get used to the feeling, as it were." She breathed huskily.

"Lead the way, my fair lady." Leon grinned back.

She gently tugged him left, towards her room on the end. Stepping inside, Leon noticed that Sarah had also had a partition added like Brad and Naomi had. Nearly all the furnishing were blue, just like her wardrobe, though the walls were a pale cream. Stepping around the thin wall, Leon was startled to see a full sized double bed. He glanced at Sarah.

"Been planning this for while have we?" He asked in good humour. She just smiled sweetly.

Leon stepped into the bathroom to his right to allow Sarah her privacy. Just because he was going to spend the night with her didn't mean that he was going to push her faster than she was willing to go. He stripped down to T-shirt and shorts while waiting.

At last she gently called him though. Sarah sat up in the bed, watching him. He saw that she had changed to a thin, almost shear blue nightgown. It had two thin shoulder straps that showed off her complexion, and she had let her shimmering blue hair down, partly obscuring her face. As he stepped closer, he saw that with her makeup removed, she seemed younger, more open than before.

He gingerly slipped under the covers besides her, before clicking off the remaining lamp on the bedside. Sliding down together, he wrapped her in his arms. They shared a deep kiss as sleep began to take its grip on them both.

"Good night Sarah, my love…" he whispered.

"Good night, my saviour…"

* * *

**Moonbay: **Ahhh... I love a good romance scene...

**DR: **Especially those involving you and Irvine?

**Moonbay:** Hey! (flushes bright red)

**DR: **Well, till next time, when the Blitz's fortunes take a sudden, sharp nose dive... lots of pain on the way.


	33. Storms of Terror

**Zeke: **Hey DR, you got any cookies around here?

**DR: **Used to. Not sure if Bit and Leena haven't had them all...

**Zeke:** Drat.

**Shadow: **Hey Zeke, I've got popcorn here!

**Zeke: **All right!

* * *

Chapter 33: Storms of Terror

Leena was, unusually, the first up a few days later. With Naomi's birthday looming, Leena had decided that she would get the older woman something. Since she was not sure what to get, she planed to allow herself the whole day to find the right gift.

Passing Sarah's door, Leena shook her head. The sudden movement of Leon into her room with her the other day had been a shock to all the others, including Leena. With her room next door, she had listened hard. But nothing seemed to happen, as Leon had told her empathically. Clearly they were still taking it slow. Leena hoped the two of them could find happiness together. After hearing the sad tale of Sarah's past, she no long felt any ill will for her. In fact, over the last few weeks she had began to look upon Sarah as a kind of big sister, certainly a friend.

She slipped downstairs quietly, and again marvelled at the way the light filtered down though the shallow pond above. _'That was certainly one of Bits better ideas.' _Leena sighed heavily. She and Bit just couldn't seem to settle down and remain constant. She really wanted to go steady with him, but things kept happening between them. The night that Leon had first slept alongside Sarah, the rest of the team had been watching a film, and after it was over everyone had drifted to bed, except her and Bit. The two of them had been unable to agree on a small point in the film… and things had gotten out of hand. They hadn't spoken to each other since.

Leena shook her head as she quietly fixed herself a large breakfast. She was not planning to return for lunch, so she was going to need all the energy she could eat. Two slices of toast, a bowl of cereal, and one of her cookies. Leena smirked as she slipped the cookie from her latest hiding place. Bit had yet to find her store. Then again he was more interested in her rather than the cookies at the moment. The sudden thought of Bit caused her to sigh again.

She sat down on the central couch to watch the latest news while she ate. Nothing really sprung out, except a worrying report. A number of solo pilots, mainly independent transporters, had gone missing. Rumours had blamed it on a new desert gang, but last night one of the Gustavs had been found. Completely destroyed.

As she finished her toast, the weather report came on, what she had been waiting for. It had been a long hot summer, and the dry spell was set to continue for a while longer. The seasonal winds however were here, and all travellers and outlying communities were warned that the combined long dry spell and high winds meant that sandstorms were highly likely. It was certainly not weather to take a jeep out into.

'_Fine, I'll use the Gunsniper.'_ She thought as she gulped down the last of her drink. She took a few minutes to scribble down a note to the rest of the team to tell them that she had gone shopping. With their recent string of victories, all of them had an ample amount of money. Like most of the others, Leena had been setting some aside into an account, just in case. After a long time of having to be frugal with her spending, it had been very tempting to go on a shopping spree and freshen up her wardrobe. But Leena had resisted the temptation, since what kind of hypocrite would she be if she told her father not to waste money, and then went and brought a set of clothes that she would hardly ever wear?

Whistling happily, she strode into the hanger. Unlike before, she did not feel chilled within the hanger, since the new building was well insulated against the chill of night. As she climbed into her Gunsniper, Leena heard the faint growling of the Liger Zero. She shook her head again. Ever since the Fury had moved in the two of them seemed to spend all their free time talking. Bit and Vega never let on what they overheard, but from the looks on their faces it was often amusing.

Outside the sky was clear and the wind crisp. Leena set her course before engaging the autopilot, allowing her to lean back in her seat. She needed to think about what she could get. To help her she decided to think about Naomi herself.

Leena had never really hated Naomi at all, it was just their two combat styles were polar opposites. Naomi as a person was in fact warm and forgiving, even when Leena had raged at her. She didn't begrudge her getting hooked up with Brad. In fact as the two of them got closer Brad seemed to open up more, revealing a side of his personality that Leena had never seen before.

Leena smiled as she thought back to that night, four months ago. She had never seen Naomi look so good. In fact, she had looked far better in that rather conservatively cut dress than in some of the other, more revealing clothing she had been seen wearing. The look on Brads face when he saw her had been one of those 'must have' pictures. Too bad her pregnancy stopped her wearing it again. At least until her child was born.

'_Maybe a new dress then, to fit her "expanded" form?'_ Leena smirked as the Gunsniper continued to stride towards her destination. She didn't know it, but the Gunsniper was watching her, wondering what Leena was smirking about.

…**_I hope she doesn't intend to add any more weapons to me… _**It thought privately. **_…I'm over loaded as it is!_**

X-X-X-X-X-X

It was a couple of hours later before the rest of the team was up and about. Leon and Sarah took their time getting up. They had grown comfortable sleeping side-by-side, and rarely wished to end it. But rumbling stomachs demanded it. As before, Leon would slip away to change in his own room, leaving Sarah her privacy.

Pierce performed her normal routine, doing forty laps in the swimming pool. Normally she'd only do twenty, but in the smaller sized pool to get the same distance she had to do twice as many. The others all started their day the same as always. Brad and Leon doing some light work with the gym equipment, both to keep in shape for battles and to impress their women. Stroller settled down with the paper to watch the news, While Jamie and Sarah set to work on the team's breakfast. Bit had a quick look over and a chat with the Liger Zero, while Vega did the same with the Fury. And Steve – played with his toy zoids.

Soon the scattered team members filtered through to eat. Stroller took his on the couch along with Brad, while the others gathered round the breakfast bar. As he munched through his usual, Bit looked around for Leena. He had been hoping that maybe today they could make up for that argument they had had. "Say, where's Leena?" He asked when he couldn't find her. "She's normally up by now."

"Oh, I forgot." Sarah gasped. "I found a note left for us. Seems she went shopping earlier today."

"That explains the mess of the toaster…" Jamie muttered. None of the others were capable of doing anything in the kitchen without making a mess.

"Serious? Because with everything going on right now…" Pierce waved her hand towards the monitor, which was displaying the latest report about the unexplained disappearances of lone zoid pilots. Another two pilots had been found dead. It was beginning to look like some one was preying on lone zoids.

"Leena's a big girl. She'll be fine." Leon told her, confidant that his sister could look after herself. "Did she take a jeep or her zoid?" He asked Sarah. Their eyes lingered on each other for a second before she looked down at the note.

"Her zoid."

"There, no one in their right mind would challenge her. Not with her arsenal." Laughter drifted across the room as everyone thought about how surprised some bandit would be if he jumped out to hold her up and found himself staring down all of that firepower…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Out in the desert, Leena was definitely not fine. _"Oh why did I choose to go out today?'_

She had been making her way towards Battam City, larger and more commercially orientated than Romeo City. Only part way there the mother of all sandstorms had rolled in. Now her Gunsniper was struggling to remain upright, and visibility was down to less than a dozen meters. Leena had to lean the zoid into the wind to remain standing, and the noise of the wind blown sand roaring around the cockpit was stunning.

Glancing to her displays, Leena sighed. Ever since the storm had come, her sensors and communications had been full of nothing but static. Even the GPS locator was offline! She didn't have a clue where she was. Worse, she didn't know which way to go. With no references, she didn't know how much she had been turned around.

Another fierce gust pushed her zoid backwards and a bit to the right. The zoids actuators groaned from the stress they were under, trying to keep the zoid upright. Leena groaned with them. The situation was dire enough without having her zoid fail on her.

She tried to use the larger toes on the Snipers feet to gain traction, but the loose sand and soil had been blown away, leaving nothing but hard compacted earth and rock. Her many weapons were also acting like a sail, catching the winds and pulling her back.

At least she was still able to think calmly. _'All I have to do is hold on.' _She told herself. _'Once this storm passes, I'll be able to get my bearings and return home.'_

As if to mock her, another sudden gust sent the Gunsniper staggering to the right again. Squinting, Leena made out the faint outline of a large rocky outcrop ahead of her. _'The winds must be blowing around that rock.' _She thought. _'Maybe I can get some shelter there, if I can just…'_

She didn't get the chance to complete the thought. The wind eased suddenly, and visibility improved. But before Leena could rejoice, she saw a larger, heavier front of sand coming right towards her. It smothered the rocky outcropping she had seen.

"Oh hell…"

The impact of the winds was like a cannon round at point blank range. The Gunsniper was forced backwards, its feet carving furrows in the hard ground. Since the wind had struck her not quite head on, the zoid was also forced to the right as well.

Leena struggled to turn to face the wind, but even her remarkable strength was as nothing compared to these winds. Updrafts forced the nose up, and she had to take a step back to avoid being toppled. Problem was, once she started she couldn't stop taking steps. The Gunsniper was blown back another dozen paces before it managed to get both feet level with each other. Now facing the winds head on, Leena leaned the zoid forward.

Leena looked out the canopy. There was nothing to see but swirling sand. The sound of the sand scoring away at the zoids skin drowned out any other sounds. It would be amazing if any of her weapons worked after this! In fact she didn't realise that she was slipping again until she felt the vibrations though the controls.

'_I don't believe this! Where in hell could such powerful winds come from?'_

At this point, Leena felt closer to her zoid than she had ever been before. Small twitches in the controls, the straining of the actuators, all hinted that the zoid was throwing everything it had into trying to hold still. Slowly these perceptions trickled into Leena's mind. Slowly, she began to understand what Leon had been saying for a long time now.

'_Maybe zoids really are alive…'_

Suddenly she got a heightened sense of danger. Something was really wrong here, but for the life of her Leena couldn't work out what. As if in answer, the main display crackled back into action for a couple of seconds. What it showed terrified her.

'_Oh god, I'm being blown towards a cliff!'_ Leena threw everything into holding position, but it wasn't enough. She knew the edge was getting closer and closer, and there was nothing she could do about it. Leena had never been religious, but right then she started praying for a miracle…

As if her prayers had been answered, the Gunsnipers feet found traction. The rougher, more broken ground at the cliff edge allowed her zoid to get a good grip. No longer sliding, the zoid was able to stand its ground against the ferocious head wind. Leena was so shocked she laughed out loud. "Hah! That's the best you got?"

A second later she realised that might not have been such a good idea…

Another updraft lifted the Gunsnipers head, raising it up for the winds to swoop underneath. The zoid was pulled upwards, losing its precious grip on the ground. The updraft dissipated quickly, but the damage had been done. With the shriek of metal sliding on rock, the zoid was pushed to the very edge.

Leena had time to think _'Me and my big mouth…'_ before another strong gust sent her zoid toppling over the edge…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Leena slowly came to some time later. As she forced her eyes open, she tried to push the pounding in her skull aside. Surprisingly she was still safely strapped in her zoid. Glancing outside, she could see that the storm had all but passed. The cliff she had tumbled down had only been fifty odd feet. Around her all that could be seen was sand, but a fine haze prevented her seeing beyond a few miles.

Groaning, she pulled herself back into the centre of the pilots' seat. The Gunsniper was lying on its side, rocks scattered about. As she slid back into place, Leena was surprised to find that she had no broken bones at all. Counting herself lucky, she pulled up diagnostics for her zoid.

The Gunsniper had come though the fall okay, but the added weapons had suffered. Wincing, Leena looked over her right shoulder. The Vulcan cannon's barrels were flattened together and bent out of shape. The whole assembly would have to be replaced. Turning back to her displays, she took stock of the rest of the damage. Two missile pods were certainly out of action, with a large question mark over the others, while the tail mounted sniper rifle, standard on all Gunsnipers, was wrecked.

"Ha. Never use that thing anyway." Oddly, Leena got a wave of discontent when she said that…

Shaking her head to clear away the unwanted thought she tried to make some sense of the sensors display. The storm was past, but the static build up had ionised the air, badly limiting the sensors effectiveness. Radio communications were most certainly out for now.

'_Still, at least the GPS should be working now…' _Her thought trailed off as a blip appeared on the sensor screen then vanished. A few seconds later it returned, then disappeared again. Leena stared at the screen, wondering. Moments later the blip returned, and stayed. Then other blips joined it.

"YES!" Leena cried out in relief. "A rescue party!"

But even as she said that, Leena began to get a really bad feeling. The number of blips had grown, till there were seven of them. They held a tight formation, three close together in the middle and the other four surrounding them on three sides, quite a distance out.

Leena worked her zoids controls, and slowly the Gunsniper lurched upright. Leena was mildly alarmed to see that the right panel of the canopy was cracked. _'That'll need replacing…'_

In the suspended dust ahead, a shadow had formed. It was a squat, boxy form, walking on two thick legs. Leena began to wonder where she had seen such a form before as another shadow, like the first, appeared.

Leena felt fear begin to coil in her belly as the first shadow stopped before turning in her direction. As if in response to this action, the whole formation swung round to point at her. Leena stared hard into the haze, but all she could see were seven silhouettes slowly approaching. The one in the centre was the most massive, and as it emerged from the haze Leena was able to recognise the machine beneath as a Gojulas. But her brief spark of relief faded as she took in the details of the massive saurian zoid. This one was a dark grey colour, in stark contrast to the normal Gojulas colouration of white and other pale colours. The canopy had also red-shifted…

The four smallest forms were now clearly visible, and the sight causes Leena's blood to run cold. Above the two sturdy legs the body was thin with a forward projecting central eye, with great humped shoulders behind it. A quartet of weapons were placed on those shoulders, and the central eye shone with a blood red brilliance. The rest of the thing was a steely blue-grey…

Even before the last two machines emerged from the dust Leena had no trouble realising whom these – things – were. _'They're the group that attacked us! Oh shit!' _Leena's first response to threat may have been to open fire, but the attack on the Blitz Team base had taught her that these things were tough enough to take everything she could throw at them. With her weapons damaged, and outnumbered, she did the only sane thing...

She turned her zoid around and ran, calling out into her radio in the hope that someone could pick up her distress call. Static was her only answer.

Behind her, after taking a moment to report in via a system unaffected by the storm – and one not native to zoids - the pilot of the improved Gojulas ordered his units to pursue and destroy the lone Blitz team zoid…

X-X-X-X-X-X

He lay there, close to the summit of the mountain, staring into the sky. Over the many years of his life that he had lived on Zi, he had come to this place often. Hands linked behind his head, he allowed the gentle winds to rustle the loose strands of his dark brown hair. Feet crossed at the ankles, he stared up into the heavens…

…**_You can never go back you know. You took an oath, and only death can release you…_** The voice was projected into his head, a rumbling sound as if spoken by a great beast. But it was filled with compassion and wisdom.

He laughed gently as a shadow eclipsed him. Turning his head slightly, the man shifted his attention to the source of the shadow. "I know, old friend. But sometimes I long for the place of my birth, you know?"

…_**I do know. We are both exiles…**_

"At least you're still on your home world!" He joked. "Still, as much as I long for home at times, I recall the mess it was in when I left." He shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder how on earth my species survived…"

…_**You humans have a remarkable quality. Your race is one of those few that does not accept the status quo, but continually asks questions. You build communities, and you seek the balance between order and chaos…**_

"Sometimes…"

The massive zoid shook its head. **_…While it is true that humans as a species have yet to fully reach maturity, everything in your past is part of that growth. Your race has great potential…_**

The voice suddenly stopped. The head swung sharply around to stare across the plains below.

"What is it?" The man quickly stood up, dusting himself down as he did so. He could tell something was seriously wrong simply by the way his massive zoid partner was holding his head.

…**_I am receiving a distress call. It is… weak, full of static. Side effect of the storm… _**The zoid told him as it quickly got to all four feet.

…**_Single zoid, outnumbered and being chased by… things, not zoids… _**The massive head shifted slightly. **_…Things like those that attacked the Blitz Team…_**

The man stiffened. "Cybrids…" He breathed.

…_**There is more… the pilot being chased… female… something oros…**_

"Leena Toros?" The man asked urgently.

…**_Yes! Leena Toros, under attack… _**The great head lowered till it was almost touching the ground. **_…You wish to help… _**It was a statement, not a question.

"If you know what I wish to do, you know why."

…**_Yes… …it is, not what we are meant to do… …but if you're right about these 'Cybrids', then it would be… _**The canopy was already lifting up.

Grinning, the man leapt up onto the zoids jaw, and then another leap took him up so that he could haul himself into the cockpit. Dropping into his seat, he began to belt in even as the canopy lowered and the zoid braced itself.

With a roar of power, the zoid left the high ground, rocketing towards the source of the distress call…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Leena was well past being scared, and now was fully terrified. The force behind her had reacted to her running by opening fire. Fortunately she had had a head start on them and only a few shots had hit her. But the smaller things were faster than her, and they quickly got her back in range. Their shots had flashed across her zoids legs, clearly intended to cripple her, or at least slow her down so that the larger pursuers could catch and finish her.

Luckily, the scanners had cleared a bit more, enough for her to find and dash into a series of canyons. Amongst the winding routes though the rocks the smaller things had fewer clear shots. And as she left them further behind, it became clear that they had trouble cornering at high speed.

Still, it only took one lucky shot to reduce her to a crawl, and the pursuit was still doggedly following. So she continued to push her zoid to the limit, taking bends faster that she'd ever thought possible. One LRM pod was scraped off in a really sharp one, but Leena would gladly trade her entire arsenal if it came down to losing that or living.

All the while, she continued to broadcast her call for help, but it seemed that the pursuit force was jamming her transmissions. All she ever heard over the radio was static.

After a couple of minutes with no shots fired at her, Leena began to relax. "I think I lost them…"

She was never more wrong.

The Cybrid Land-Skimmer craft popped up from behind a ridgeline on her right flank. Of all the Cybrid units brought to Zi by Helios, the Land-Skimmers had had the most change. With improved engines, weapons and armour, they were far more deadly now than they had ever been back on Earth.

The Land-Skimmer fired two missiles. From the point that it appeared on Leena's scanner and the time of impact, there was only three seconds. She had only just begun to react to the new blip on her screen when the warheads hit.

The first struck the zoid midway down its body, between the fore and hind legs. The missile blasted apart the thin armour plating and sent the zoid staggering sideways.

The second missile hit just below the lip of the canopy.

When the bright light appeared just to her right, Leena threw up her arm to shield her eyes. That simple action saved her life, as the right panel of the canopy shattered under the impact, sending a hail of razor sharp fragments spinning into the cockpit. The metal skin under the point of impact folded and buckled inwards, the scream of tortured metal drowning out Leena's own.

The zoid was sent even further staggering to the left, till it struck a rock and rebounded. Reeling from the strikes, the Zoid stood still, swaying.

Leena slowly lowered her arm, agony tearing though her veins. Her face had been shielded from the shards of canopy, but her arm had taken the brunt of the assault. The outside of it was lacerated apart, the flesh sliced to the bone. Her right side received similar, if lesser treatment; the instrument panels partially shielded her.

But even as she struggled to cope with the pain in her arm, another searing pain in her leg caused Leena to scream in agony again. Looking down, she was horrified to see a huge jagged sheet of metal thrust though her thigh, the sharp point poking out on the inside; red with blood.

Looking right, she could see the bodywork around her right side had been blasted part. Part of the zoids upper jaw hung loose, and a whole section of the head was missing.

Over the roaring of blood in her ears, and underneath the tears mixing with blood from cuts on her forehead, it was no wonder that she did not notice the pursuit force round the bend to her right…

Sudden detonations, far louder than anything she had ever heard, flung the Gunsniper to the left again. The zoid gave a metallic screech as the two supercannon rounds fired from the Gojulas struck it. One smashed just below the knee joint, shattering the leg in a shower of zoid parts and fluids. The knee actuator was ripped completely out of the leg, while the stub of shin flopped onto the ankle.

The other round struck right were the Land-Skimmers missile hit. Right over the zoids Core.

As the critically damaged zoid crashed down onto the rocky ground, Leena was thrown about in her seat, causing even more harm to her leg. Though the pain, she could see the displays flicker and die. Only the main one remained active, with a single 'Zoid core damaged' message printed on it in flickering, blood red letters.

As she sat there, Leena felt though her seat the foot falls of her attackers. When they ceased, she turned to look. The Gojulas stood centre, with a pair of machines like those man-shaped ones that attacked the base flanking it. Behind them were the smaller units, and circling round just behind them was the Land-Skimmer, the one thing that had brought her down.

The barrels of the Gojulas supercannons cranked down, till Leena found herself staring right into the muzzles of the massive guns. The darkened head of the other zoid seemed to be the grinning face of death itself. She knew that another shot would kill her. As blood and tears ran down her face, Leena closed her eyes and awaited the end, thinking only one thing.

'_Bit, I'm sorry…'

* * *

_

**Shadow: **That's got to hurt...

**Zeke: **(from behind sofa) Is it over?

**DR: **Not quite...


	34. Avenging Angel of Fire

**DR: **What's really surprising about these two chapters (the last one and this one) is that these cover my original idea for this story from three years ago, and the plot line for this bit is virtually unchanged!

**Van: **Man, That's great!

**DR: **I'm not so sure, considering what happens...

**Van: **Oh, right.

**DR: **Okay, from now on things are going to get a little off the wall. So bear with me...

* * *

Chapter 34: Avenging Angel of Fire

The pilot of the Gojulas, Raymond, smiled to himself as he lined up the shot on the downed Gunsniper of Leena Toros. Ever since the 'Dark Lord' had arrive on the scene and offered up a bounty on the heads of the Blitz Team, splinters of the old Backdraft had flocked to him. With these new combat units more powerful than any zoid the ZBC could field, these hardened felons were itching to make the Blitz pay from bringing down the Backdraft.

Raymond had been a rising star, kicking every Class B team he encountered into the dirt. After the Royal Cup, he would have been busting up Class A teams.

The Blitz's surprising defeat of the Backdraft super zoid, the Berserker Fury, and Sarah Obscura's defection had destroyed the Backdraft. Raymond suspected that her and Vega's defection had been arranged during that fight. Vega could not have been beaten; he must have thrown the fight! And the only way the ZBC could have found their base so quickly was if Sarah had TOLD them were they were.

And now she and Vega, along with those other weak willed fools Stoller and Pierce had joined the Blitz Team! Raymond had a score to settle with them all. The 'Dark Lord' was offering a bounty to those who could prove that they had killed one of the Blitz Team that was enough to cause all bounty hunters to start drooling. Their heads were the best form of evidence, but conclusive proof would be enough.

'_And now I have Leena Toros, the second highest one on that list in my sights!' _He cackled to himself as he set his sights on her zoids exposed core. Once he finished off her zoid, he'd go down to see if she survived.

'_Almost a shame to kill her though.'_ Raymond eyed the injured young woman._ 'Nice piece of ass there…'_

He decided to allow the gun cameras a few more seconds to record the moment, while he allowed himself to dream about undressing her…

A sudden detonation overhead caused him to look up. A raging fireball expanding in the air, while small chunks of metal flew out of it. All that remained of his Land-Skimmer. A rapidly fading contrail led off into the distance…

Squinting, Raymond could just make out an airborne shape. No way a zoid could shoot a missile that far away without warning! Even as he watched, the shape grew larger…

Quickly cancelling his target lock on the ruined Gunsniper, he snapped orders to his units. "Prepare to engage hostile zoid! Set for anti-air operations!"

A chorus of electronic 'Affirmatives' came back, but Raymond didn't hear them. He had achieved enough of a lock onto the incoming zoid to get a magnified look at it. And what he saw in the zoom window terrified him. _'Holy mother of…'_

The aerial zoid approaching was unlike anything he had ever seen, but he was having trouble making out details. A rounded body, with two massively long, but almost delicate looking wings spread out each side. Under the first third of each wing was a rack of missiles. Just beyond them the wing had a bugle, and from beneath each bugle spat a hail of burning blue laser darts.

The zoid roared in too fast for him to track, and he quickly reset his display. Flashes of light heralded the launch of a swarm of missiles that screamed in faster than any missile he had ever seen. Twelve contrails led straight to one of his Diablos. The massively armoured machine was rocked back on its legs as the missiles punched though its shield. Laser bolts torn through the machine, and with a flash it exploded in a geyser of fire. The second was clearly blinded by the hail of bolts striking its shield, as its return fire was way off target.

Raymond was firing too, with exactly the same effect. The oncoming zoid came screaming in, and he began to realise just how big this thing was! It rocketed over the old Ramses Cybrids, almost clipping them with dangling golden claws. One limb shot out and the three articulated toes latched around the second Diablo. The massive zoid appeared to shift, before a stunning impact rang on the side of Raymond's Gojulas, knocking the towering zoid over. As he fell over, Raymond watched as a long tail rushed past his view as the attacking zoid took to the air again.

A rush of anger coursed though his veins, then fear. The other pilot had knocked his mighty zoid, a Gojulas no less, over with his zoids _tail!_

As he lay there, he watched as the other zoid made another impossible turn before settling down on a ridge over looking the valley they were in. At last Raymond got a good look at the beast.

He wished he hadn't.

The Diablo kicked and fired of the odd shot, clearly unable to understand the simple fact that the attacking zoid was _holding it in one forepaw!_ The size difference was inconceivable! Compared to the zoid, the Diablo was nothing more than a large toy figure, or a human to a Rev Raptor!

But the fear in Raymond's belly began to rise as the zoid lowered its head and bit down on the Cybrid! Even as he struggled to right his fallen zoid, Raymond could only watch as the other zoid tore the Cybrid apart. Chunks of armour went flying as the zoid crunched down on the Cybrid.

The Ramses units, without fallible human emotions, now fired on the beast that had just ripped their larger cousin apart. Their laser beams were reflected away by the smooth, curved skin, while the depleted uranium tipped rounds simply bounced off with a shower of sparks. In response the massive zoid dropped the remains of the Diablo, came down onto all four feet, crushing what was left of the Cybrid under a paw, and returned fire. Literally.

A stream of bright yellow-white flame poured out of the zoids opened mouth, tearing across Raymond's vision and engulfing the four Ramses units. The rocks surrounding the area blackened, and waves of shimmering heat rose into the air. One by one the Ramses units faded from Raymond's tactical display, indicating total destruction.

At last the stream of flame cut off, as if the other zoid pilot wished to see what remained. Where the four Ramses had stood before, only four pools of liquid metal surrounding molten lumps marked there had ever been four deadly machines. The rocky ground itself appeared to be molten, warping and giving off steam.

Desperate to avoid the same fate, Raymond armed and fired the supercannons, just as the other zoid gently and gracefully leapt down from the ridge.

One shell struck the zoid in the side of the stomach, between the left legs just as it landed. Raymond was confident that such a hit should have hurt the other zoid, but as the smoke cleared his jaw dropped. All that showed from the hit was a scorch mark! And the Zoid was staring right back at him, glaring with deadly intent…

It quickly, fluidly, shifted round. It raised its haunches and lowered its head. Both massive wings spread out high into a 'V' shape as the jaw hinged open again. Beneath the burning blue eyes, a bluish-purple glow began to form, particles sucked into a growing sphere…

Raymond had seen this attack before, on other zoids. He jerked the controls to turn his zoid away, but before he could completely escape the charged particle cannon fired, sending a burning stream out that clipped off his right supercannon. Kicking the Gojulas into full gear, Raymond prayed as he ran, feeling wet warmth spread though his pants as he did so. A second blast took off his zoids left arm, vaporising it completely. A third gouged a furrow though the cliff to wing the back of his zoids head.

Safely behind the rocks, Raymond poured all speed towards the hidden base. Although his sensors had been completely unable to gather any form of conclusive data, the 'Dark Lord' had to know about this…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Inside the other zoid, the pilot watched the Gojulas go. He felt his zoid relax and power down the charged particle cannon. Looking across towards Leena's Gunsniper, he sucked in his breath.

"I hope we're not too late…" He murmured as he stood up to gather equipment from the back of the cockpit. He pulled the large medical kit from its recess, while pocketing the laser cutter. He shucked off his leather coat, throwing it over his seat.

His zoid lowered its head to allow him to safely jump down. **_…I'll see to the zoid, you check the pilot…_**

Quickly the man rushed over to the Gunsniper's cockpit. Looking in, he grimaced. He hit the external emergency canopy release system, but the damaged canopy didn't shift.

"Drat." Pulling out the laser cutter, he began to cut away the wreckage to get inside. The compact laser was staggeringly powerful, slicing though the armour plating quickly and with little smoke. Once he had access, he shut off the cutter and dragged over the med kit. Leena's leg was still impaled, but her arm was the more serious injury. If the bleeding was not stopped soon, she could die from blood loss.

The shards of canopy would have to be removed, but right now the important thing was to prevent the loss of more blood. Quickly he wrapped Leena's arm in soft bandages, putting several layers over it. Next he wrapped some round her head. He tensed as he did this, but she was out cold.

Her blood was sticking her to the seat, so to treat her side wound he'd have to remove her from the zoid. Picking up the cutter again, he began to slice away again. Despite every instinct in his being screaming at him to hurry, he took his time and ensured that he did not rush the job. Any sharp edges or points could cause further injury as he lifted her out, and as he cut closer, he could accidentally cut her as well as the metal.

At last he began to make the final cut, slicing the sheet of armour that had folded in and stabbed her though the thigh. He didn't have the skill or tools to remove something like that: it would have to wait till he got her to a fully equipped hospital.

Just as he finished the cut, he turned his thoughts to his zoid. _'Mnementh… how's the zoid?'_

…**_Emotionally distraught, and fatally wounded… _**Came the almost soft reply. **_…I've managed to ease its pain, and done what I could to heal it, but the damage to the core is too severe…_**

"Damn it!" The man cursed as he lifted Leena Toro's unconscious form from the cockpit. Blood began to seep from her side injuries as he pulled her away from the pilots' seat. "How long before it…"

…_**Only a few days, maybe a week…**_

"Is there anything…?"

…_**No. Not even submergence in a birthing pool can save it now…**_

The man sat silently for a minute while he wrapped bandages round Leena's body. "At the very least we can make its last few days comfortable, even ease it's passing…"

Silently his zoid dropped its head till the chin rested on the ground, tilted slightly to allow the man an easier time getting Leena in. After gathering up the last few items, he climbed in too.

The massive zoid stepped close, before gingerly picking up the Gunsniper in both forepaws. Crouching on its back feet, the huge zoid spread its great wings as the ion engines primed. With a roar the zoid rocketed into the air, the wings giving one great beat as it became airborne.

Wiping his hands, the man turned his seat around to look at the still unconscious Leena. "Take us home Mnementh."

Silently the massive zoid banked and set course, gently reaching out with his mind to the dying Gunsniper in his forepaws.

The man sat back, thinking things over. _'We'll need to contact her family, and she'll be in no condition to travel…' _He sighed. _'They'll have to come to us…'_

…_**You know the council would never allow it…**_

"Only three of them."

…_**That is still enough…**_

The man was quiet for a few seconds, and then smiled slightly. "Oh, I think I can persuade them…"

X-X-X-X-X-X

It had been over thirty-six hours, and Leena had still not returned. The whole team was worried, but none more than Bit.

"I don't get it. Where the hell is she?" He paced back and forth in the main room, alternately running his hands though his hair, and yanking it out with the same. Bit was really worried about her. He knew more than most that Leena could take care of herself, but still… The two of them had been together, off and on, for almost two months now, and they had been the happiest two months of his life.

Leon was just as worried for his little sister, but so far he had managed to keep quiet about it. At least when compared to Bit, who was climbing the walls already. Sarah managed to help him focus his worry into searching though the reports that came.

When Leena had failed to show up that evening, the team had not been duly alarmed. But when she failed to return by the next morning, panic began to set in. Steve had called all the local sheriffs and City Security officers he could think of. None had any reports about Leena. A general call went out, but very little had been sent back. The only tangible trail was a commercial Hammer Kaiser pilot had logged sighting a lone heavily armed Gunsniper heading towards Battam City. All the local police forces were searching along that line of travel, but things were going slowly. The sandstorms had been heaviest in that region, and to an extent were still blowing. If her zoid had gotten caught in one, she could have been blown dozens of miles away. Or could be buried under several dozen feet of hard packed sand.

The search was also confounded since over the last couple of weeks there had been a number of attacks against lone zoids wandering the desert. The zoids in question were always completely destroyed, their pilots killed. The central point for these attacks seemed to be somewhere near the ancient 'Valley of the Rarehurtz', a no go area for almost two hundred years.

Other Class S Teams were keeping an eye out, and the ZBC had devoted a scanner on the Super Satellite to scan the area methodically. But all of that took time… time that Bit Cloud was unwilling to wait.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Later that day a news flash interrupted all programmes.

"We interrupt your regular schedule to bring this breaking news. Within the last hour a battle between the Class S teams 'Rampagers' and the 'Apaches' was interrupted by unknown forces." The newsreader looked positively sick.

"Thirteen of the fifteen zoids present were destroyed, along with both teams' transports. Twenty-five people, including fourteen pilots, were killed in this, viscous attack."

The entire Blitz Team watched in horror as the screen shifted to a field camera panned about the battleground. The slumped remains of the two teams' zoids dotted the landscape, with both the transports making artificial volcanoes. Wreckage was scattered about all over the place, and the judge capsule was a blackened shell. Several of the zoids had already turned to stone, the sigh of death. For most of them it was impossible to tell what they had been before.

"ZBC officials have already made an initial examination of the debris, and have advised that the few remains of the attackers' bear striking resemblance to the remains of the unknown machines that attacked the Blitz Team two months ago." Several of the team threw worried looks at each other. On the screen the view came to rest on the face of the only surviving pilot. His face was blackened, and it was clear that his arm was missing below the elbow, despite the sheet draped over him.

"They took the judge out before we even knew they were there…" He was saying, clearly still in shock. "They… looked like simple boxes on legs, but those eyes… those demonic eyes! They came at us, weapons blazing… We returned fire, but our weapons barely hurt them! They cut us down one by one, shooting so accurately… I would never have believed such shooting was possible if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes! One of them tore James's Command Wolf apart with these lightning like weapons, even after he was out of the fight! We destroyed a couple of them, but they simply overwhelmed us, even though there were only nine of them…" The camera turned away as the pilot was helped into a medical Hammerhead. It came to rest on a long line of black body bags, some only half full. The view returned to the initial newsreader.

"The ZBC has called a halt to all zoid battling until the party responsible for this atrocious attack is found and brought to justice. This attack follows on from a series of attacks against lone zoids wandering the region around the 'Valley of the Rarehurtz', promoting speculation that the source of the attacks could be hidden within the valley itself. The latest count of missing…" Stoller snapped the screen off angrily.

"Good god…" Steve breathed in horror. "Two entire teams destroyed…"

Naomi clung tightly to Brad, fear for her child making her seek comfort wherever possible. Why now, when they were set to bring a new, fragile and defenceless life into being? Why did this have to happen now?

Jamie and Pierce sat side-by-side holding each other's hand. Both had been shocked at the level of destruction. Even Bit had stopped pacing, his jaw hanging from the sight of such carnage.

Vega was the least affected on the outside, but inside he was just as shocked. He'd seen the effects of real war in the Fury's memories, but he'd never thought he'd see them first hand…

None of the team said it, but they were all thinking the same thing: had those who had caused this attack, had caused the other attacks, got Leena?

X-X-X-X-X-X

Back in his private chambers, the Dark Lord sat back and laughed as he watched the news flash. Helios's legions had performed far better than expected. Two entire Class S teams, the cream of the ZBC's might, wiped out one single attack. If a small force could destroy a collection of zoids that outnumber them almost two-to-one with only a couple of losses, how much damage could an army do? Partially when the source of their improvements was leading them?

The Dark Lord raised a glass in a toast to the thought of seeing the world burn, when Helios called.

"**Dark One, one of our human pilots' has returned. Without his assigned units."**

"Really?" The Dark Lord raised an eyebrow. "What is his explanation?" Helios was quiet for several seconds.

"**He reported encountering a lone Blitz Team zoid and gave pursuit. The rest…" **Helios paused again. **"He refuses to give anymore details unless he sees you personally."**

The Dark Lord scowled as he put his drink down. "All right. Send him down."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Raymond trembled with fear as he was escorted down to see the Dark Lord. He was flanked on each side by a mini Cybrid, created to storm cities and hunt down any human survivors. It was based on a successful pattern, the Scarab if Raymond recalled correctly. The central body was a flattened hexagon, with box like extrusions to both sides and above. The outside faces of the side boxes had flat panels that supported two weapons each, a hi-energy laser beneath a multi-barrelled machinegun. The protrusion above that glowering red eye was a micro-rocket pod, powerful enough to bring down any reinforced door.

Raymond shuddered. When he had first seen these things, the eyes had been a baleful blue, with only a hint of red. Now the eyes were almost completely red, and a blood thirsty, hate filled one at that.

Soon the procession reached the Dark Lords private chambers. The two massive wooden doors cranked open, sounding like the gates of hell opening up for Raymond's soul. He was escorted to the centre of the dark chamber, just before the Lord's desk. Behind it, he could barely make out the shape of the Lord himself. He was a black shadow, nothing more.

"Well, what have you to say for yourself, hmm?" the Lord's voice was like ice, in a cultured sort of way. "You had the power of an enhanced Gojulas, two Diablos, and four Ramses units in your force. Plus the Land-Skimmer assigned to your area." The Lord shifted back. "What happened?"

Raymond forced the lump in his throat down. "My Lord, we managed to bring down the Blitz Team zoid, and were about to make the kill, when…"

"What?"

"We were attacked! A zoid monster, something I hope never to see again!" Raymond screeched. "It torn a Diablo apart with ease! The thing was larger than any zoid I've ever seen!"

The Lord shook his head. "Sounds a bit too fanciful to me. Now, what really happened?"

"My Lord!" Raymond fell to his knees. "I swear it's the truth!"

"Oh quit your babbling. I can get my answers from your zoid…" The Lord's arm moved…

…And suddenly the floor opened up underneath Raymond. Acting on instinct, he dived forwards, and managed to get grip on the lip of the floor surrounding the trapdoor.

Hanging there, Raymond heard a chuckling. Looking up, he saw the Dark Lord had stepped round his desk.

"Hmm, I'll have to make this bigger…" He said, as he stepped into the light.

For the second time is his life, Raymond lost control of his bladder as he stared into the disfigured face of a mass murderer... just as the Dark Lords boot landed on his fingers.

Raymond fell down the chute in pitch-blackness. He rebounded off the metal walls several times as he fell, and was vaguely aware of other chutes leading into this one. In the dark, he no idea how far he fell. At last a hazy purple light could be seen at the bottom.

With a thick 'Splat' sound, Raymond landed in a viscous pool. The sting of impact faded, and the thick fluid began to ease his broken and bruised body. He quickly sank beneath the surface, and was surrounded by the dim purple light. The liquid was murky, and he could barely see anything. _'What now? Am I supposed to drown here?'_

As if in answer, Raymond got the sense that something lurking in the pool had felt his entrance. A dark shape began to form, and Raymond got the feeling that something massive was coming closer.

Dimly, though the murk, two red points of light emerged. Slowly they got closer, their light revealing an outline of a zoid head. Larger and larger it got, till Raymond was convinced it could not get any larger. Slowly the head turned, bringing one baleful eye to bear. At last it was close enough for Raymond to see details, and them he realised the truth.

He was eye to eye with the devil itself.

The head drew back, turning to face him again. In the dim light he saw the jaws open, and the head rushed forward…

X-X-X-X-X-X

That evening, a message arrived at the Blitz Team base. It had no sender address, no details as to who had sent it.

'Blitz Team, Leena Toros is safe. But she was badly wounded, and her zoid is critically damaged. Please make all speed to these coordinates.' A set of numbers, detailing a point on the world followed. 'You will be escorted the rest of the way in. Will explain everything when we meet face-to-face. Have learned that the leader of the group that is responsible for the recent attacks has placed a price on your heads. Be careful.'

Bit was all for heading out right away, while Stoller was concerned that the message might have been intended to lure the team out to be slaughtered. The others ranged between the two extremes.

"What is the problem here?" Bit yelled at the others after almost an hour of discussion. "These people know what happened to Leena, and most likely have her! What are we waiting for?"

"Bit…" Leon began gently. "I want to find her as much as you, but what if this is a trap?"

"So what?" Bit demanded. "We've fought our way out of traps before. We'll burst thought this one, if it is a trap."

"I have to agree with Bit." Jamie said, surprising everyone. "We're better than we ever where before, and we have experience at killing those things. I say we go."

Slowly the rest of the team nodded in support, all except Stoller, who continued to look doubtful.

Quickly the team sorted themselves out and headed out. The zoids were loaded such that Vega, Bit and Stoller would be the first out in case of trouble. Bit would use the catapult, Vega the rear cargo ramp, Stoller the front.

As the team headed off, none of them knew that they had gained an extra passenger…

* * *

**DR: **And the plot thickens... who sent the message? And just what lies beneath the 'Dark Lord'?

**Shadow: **I can't wait!


	35. Into the Mists

**DR: **Just taking a break from watching SG-1 seasons 1-7 non-stop to post this up...

**O'neill: **Damn straight.

**DR: **Okay, some hints from other stories are going to be included from here on, but they are minor points. I don't own any of them. The first one to guess the source right wins either one of Leena's cookies...

**Leena: **Hey!

**DR: **... or a date with Hathor.

**Carter: **What? She's a Goa'uld!

**DR: **Well, I suppose we can fix those annoying personality traits…

* * *

Chapter 35: Into the Mists

The trip to the coordinates supplied in the anonymous message would take just over the whole night for them to reach. Everyone was on edge, worried about all the things that had been happening. Naomi and Steve manned the two gun turrets on the Hover Cargo, while Sarah watched over the systems. Everyone else sat in his or her zoids, all on edge. They stayed like that all night, unwilling to risk being caught in bed if they were attacked.

News of further attacks against lone or small groups of zoids continued to stream in. The area encompassing these attacks was growing larger with each new strike, and rarely were there any survivors. An advisory had been sent out to the effect that no one should travel unless it was needed. The Judge Super Satellite was now fully scanning the region, devoting all of its resources to locating the attackers.

News concerning Leena had come though, gripping the whole team with fear for her safety, though there was a note of hope. A search team had found furrows in the rocks above a cliff, consistent with those dug by the claws on a Gunsniper's feet. Metallic residue on the cliff, and an imprint in the sands at the foot of said cliff, suggested that a Gunsniper had taken a fall down the cliff during the sandstorm.

A set of faded tracks eventually led the team to a recent battle zone. Scattered wreckage, consistent with the new attackers, was found in two large clusters. The one set of wreckage suggested that the machine had been crushed, rather than blown apart.

There was also a circular patch of the valley floor where the rocks had been superheated and half melted. Four hardened pools of semi-molten metal marked the destruction of a set of machines. Chemical analysis suggested that these too had been the new attackers, not zoids.

But there were also the signs of zoids having been involved. A furrow carved though the last bend before the battle zone was clear evidence of a charged particle cannon. And the most worrying thing of all, the team found debris of a Gunsniper. While there was not enough to account for the whole zoid, the right foot with the shattered stub of the shin, fragments of armour, it clearly painted a picture of a crippled zoid.

As the Hover Cargo pushed on though the night, each and every person within struggled with his or her doubts and fears. The most affected by the discovery of Gunsniper parts was Bit himself. Sitting within the Liger he brooded, his thoughts dominated by Leena, and his relationship with her.

The core of Bits concern was that he wasn't sure he would be able to continue on without her. If she had been killed, then he had lost one of the bright sparks in his life. Brad and Naomi's union, even the love felt between Leon and Sarah, highlighted the areas of Bit's own life that he had yet to fill. There was an aching void in his heart, and he had hoped that Leena, fiery tempered, trigger-happy though she was, could have filled it.

It had been why he had been so firm about the team following any lead, even one as potentially dangerous as this one. Bit knew though if it were a trap, he would not rest till he held her in his arms again. And if those things had taken her life, then he knew that he would not rest until he stood atop the last, rusting hulk…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Early afternoon, and the Hover Cargo approached the coordinates sent to them. Sarah eased the transport forward, trying to look in every direction at once. Steve and Naomi swung the turrets about, examining each and every ledge, crack and ridge that they passed. The catapult was deployed and ready to unleash the Liger Zero. Everyone tensed up.

At last Sarah eased up, and the Hover Cargo settled down. They were sitting at the edge of a mountain chain known only as 'The Misty Mountains'. No one could remember their actual name. It was a curtain of high mountains, forming a shear wall that isolated a small corner of Europa from the rest of the continent. Thick mists clung to those peaks, and there were almost no valleys into them. Some brave but foolhardy explorers had tried to penetrate the chain, but only a few had returned, scared witless.

It was said that these mountains were the last place on Zi that was untamed by man. That wild, aggressive zoids wandered the rocky paths, preying on anything they could find. Filled with places that would drive mere mortal men insane…

Others had tried to explore the chain from the sea, but the thick mists extended out to sea, and the region was periodically blanketed by the intense electromagnetic storms that made sea travel quite difficult across Zi. Aerial reconnaissance was also a failure, as thick clouds that scrambled a zoids sensors drifted above the peaks. And only a fool would attempt to fly between those razor sharp peaks.

The area of land cut off by those mountains – large enough to contain all the greatest cities on the planet – was a virtual unknown. While there were rumours about people who came and went from that region, trading goods and moving out to start families, not one of them had ever talked about what was hidden behind that curtain.

For several seconds, nothing stirred. All eyes were turned outward, and the hearts of each Blitz Team member beat rapidly.

When contact did come, it scared the life out of half of them, simply because it so normal. Someone was hailing them. After a few seconds to calm herself down, Sarah reached out to acknowledge the call, her hand trembling.

The main screen displayed a simple text message. 'Audio only transmission'

"Hello Blitz Team." The voice that filtered over the speakers to the Blitz was soft, feminine. Slowly the team began to relax. "We were beginning to wonder if you'd ever show up."

Steve decided to answer for his team. "Sorry, but we had to take a few… precautions."

"Understandable, considering everything that's been going on lately."

"Now…" Bit butted in. "Where is Leena?"

"Patience, Mr Cloud." The voice turned icy cold. "You'll see her soon enough. I'm here to guide you though."

Brad was the first to get the point. "Wait, you don't mean… though the mountains?" Others in the Blitz Team drew in their breaths at the thought of entering those torturous paths.

"Of course. You'd never make your way through yourself." Bit suddenly caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked closer at a ledge part way up the cliff ahead of them.

"What is that?" Naomi breathed, as she too saw the shape gracefully leap down the cliff. All the others in the team sucked in their breaths at the display of grace and fluid motion that was going on ahead of them.

It was only when the zoid reached the ground just ahead of them that details began to be made out. The build was somewhere between a Zaber Fang and a Hellcat, but far more graceful and smooth than either. Curved armour panels covered the whole of the zoids body, and the joints were almost completely hidden. The head was similar to the Zaber's, only slimmer, and subtler, without the over large hanging fangs. The zoid was matt black on its armour, with a dark grey colouration for the underlying sections. The eyes glowed golden, and any weapons were concealed within the smooth body, which had not a single hard angle or edge anywhere on it.

Bit was sure that the light must have been playing tricks on him, but he could have sworn that on some of the sharper lines on the zoids head and body, he saw reddish highlights…

"You can stand down now. You won't be threatened with attack while within the mists." And with that parting message, the graceful feline zoid strode into the valley to the side, each limb moving with a grace that not even the Liger Zero could match.

Sarah quickly pulled herself out her shook, and taking the controls turned the Hover Cargo to follow…

X-X-X-X-X-X

The passage though the mists lasted several hours. As the thick tendrils closed in about them the team gathered in the control room, all seeking the same thing: close companionship. With thick, cloying mist wrapping all around them, the mood turned truly claustrophobic. For Pierce and Jamie, the effect was worse. Both were flyers, used to open space and freedom. This tight, winding passage with almost no visibility unnerved them both. They clung to each other, sharing reassurance from the others presence.

Steve spelled Sarah, following the other zoid. Its jet black body disappeared into the mists alarmingly easily, and quite often the other pilot would stop and wait for them to catch up. The Hover Cargos sensors were almost useless in the mists. They had to trust the other pilot completely.

At several points rock walls loomed out of the mist, close enough it seemed to touch. The first time, Steve instinctively began to slide away from the rocks…

"Don't do that. We have to follow a narrow track. There's a steep fall the other side." Their guide told them. Since them Steve had followed the directions precisely, even when the rocks seemed close enough to scrape off paint. Plants hanging from those rocks were brushed aside by the transport.

All the while, the swirling mists seemed to inspire the darkest fears in each person sat within the Hover Cargo. All their childhood fears returned to haunt them, and their hearts quailed. Naomi clung to Brad, burying her head in his shoulder. Fears over her child's safety haunted her, as did the worry that Brad would not stay with her forever. Sometimes she lay awake at night, afraid that his presence was only a fleeting thing. That she would have to face the daunting prospect of raising a child alone. He put both his arms round her, trying to comfort her while simultaneously fighting off his own fears. He had never told her, but the thought that the child she was carrying was his sent tingles down his spine. Could he be a good role model, or was he incapable of relating to a young, impressionable mind?

Sarah was pitched between her old memories of her first and only lover, and her doubts about her future. Would Leon really stay with her? Could she have a normal life with this man? Would Vega turn into the monster his father had been? All these doubts ran though her head.

Leon struggled to cope with doubts about Sarah. Was she really the good, honest person at heart that he thought she was, or was it all an act? He tried to concentrate on the good times they had spent together, but the doubts and worries continually pushed in…

After almost three hours, Bit was almost ready to snap. He had been plagued with thoughts and visions of Leena cavorting with Harry Champ, of her blowing his precious Liger Zero to pieces in one of her foul moods… but the most disturbing of all was the image of her lying dead within the ruined cockpit of her smashed Gunsniper. The only colour on the zoid, turned to stone in death, was her blood slowly leaking out…

Down in the hold though, both the Liger Zero and The Berserker Fury felt vastly different. Wisps of the mist leaked though to the hold, and both zoids recognised it. It was no natural mist, but a powerful creation designed to test the hearts and minds of any pilot who entered. A barrier placed to protect the last great and holy place. They had both spent the last restfully period of their long lives here. They were returning to their old home, after so long…

Bit was beginning to twitch when the mists began to clear. The visions faded as the Hover Cargo surged out of the clouds. Ahead of them the jet-black zoid stood in a relaxed pose on a raised up thrust of rock. Behind it was a wide-open plain, green and fertile.

"Welcome though Blitz Team." At last the other pilot opened a visual channel. The team gazed at the youthful face of a woman, with a slim chin and wide, liquid eyes. Her eyebrows were slightly slanted over those eyes, and she wore a pale grey body stocking underneath a black vest. Her upper arms were bare, revealing her pale, alabaster skin. The most stunning feature though was her hair, a bright, vibrant red. The Team stared, but only Steve recognised the significance. _'This woman's got the same hair as Leena and her mother…'_

"You can crank that transport up to full speed now." The woman continued, and at last Bit was able to place the feature about her that was familiar, aside from her hair. Her eyes… they were just like the eyes of that man back at the ball before the season, so many weeks ago. Her eyes contained as much wisdom, compassion and age as his had done.

The feline zoid leapt with grace from its perch, the body and legs coiling fluidly on the landing, before leaping again towards the beginning of a paved road that led off across the plain. Lifting their eyes, the Blitz Team were momentarily dazzled by sunlight reflecting off polished metals and pale stone. Clearly a city was their final destination.

Steve quickly brought the Hover Cargo's engines to full power, and set off after their guide. They were all eager to put as much room between themselves and those mists as possible…

* * *

**DR: **Let the guessing begin... till next time! 


	36. The Great City

**Zeke: **Get off! My turn!

**Shadow: **No, it's mine!

**DR: **(walks in) What is this all about?

**Zeke: **Err, we were...

**Shadow: **Showing Fiona an un-armed combat manoeuvre...

**DR: **Shadow, how many times do you think I've heard the 'We were discussing a boxing technique?' excuse?

**Shadow:** (Gulps)

**Fiona: **DR, go easy on them... please?

**DR: **Fiona, I think Vans calling you...

**Fiona: **(Eyes snap open) Van? (Runs out room with a smile plastered on her face)

* * *

Chapter 36: The Great City

The Hover Cargo quickly worked up to full speed and hurtled along the paved road, just behind the gracefully running black zoid. The road they were following was paving in stone, and rose above the level of the plains surrounding them. They hurtled past fields and forests, wild areas and farms. The odd sidetrack led off to small farming communities, but clearly the bulk of the people here lived in the city that rose on the far side of the plain.

As they got closer, the scale of the city became apparent. It had been built on the lower slopes of a towering mountain; trust out like some massive knee. It was split into levels, each one faced with shear walls. Roofs gleamed with precious metals, and the stonework of the walls was clean and almost whitewashed.

They began to pass and cross small rivers and streams, an intricate web of waterways and fields filled with growing food. Others were pastures, with livestock roaming free. Every now and then a zoid could be glimpsed at work in the fields, ploughing and tended the soil. Mostly they were Guysacks, but a few Gustavs mingled within those. As the passed a forest, the team saw a team of Godos zoids at work with massive chainsaws felling trees in an ordered pattern, while behind them a set of Guysacks gently planted saplings where old trees had been felled.

Trucks and jeeps began to join them on the road, which had swelled into a major route into the city. They were close enough to be able to pick out details on the outer walls. The wall appeared smoothly curved, with round towers spaced evenly. Great buttresses, like those on an old dam Bit had seen once, braced the wall on the outside face. Tiny figures patrolled the top, and a massive gatehouse was set dead centre.

The upper walls were just as impressive. Each was about half as tall as the outer wall, with battlements and towers, and with tough looking forts at alternate ends. Waterfalls cascaded down in many places, in a range of styles, from solid curtains to a myriad of small trickles. The centre of the sixth tier, the highest of them all, had an elaborate gatehouse that projected out to the fifth wall. The roofs of buildings could be seen within, but not consistently.

"Err, excuse me?" Steve called the other zoid. "Where are we going to park this transport? I hope you've got transportation laid on inside…" He began to mention Naomi's condition, but the woman at the other end cut him off.

"Nonsense. You can pilot that transport all the way up to the fifth level. That's the highest level that public transports can go."

Stroller frowned, trying to figure that out. "But, the Hover Cargo will never fit though those gates…"

Gently laughter filtered across. "You're looking at it in the wrong scale. See those tiny figures patrolling the walls? They're Modified Rev Raptors."

Suddenly the sheer scale of the city became apparent. It was not just massive – it was colossal! The outer curtain wall must have been several hundred feet tall, to the point that only an Ultrasaurus could have looked over them. The gates themselves would be large enough to allow even one of those titanic zoids to pass though, if it ducked. Before, the city would have housed a few hundred, but if it was that big, it could house thousands, perhaps millions of people!

The many tiny streams began to merge, forming small rivers that flowed out from underneath the walls themselves and from the side of the great city. More and more details began to show as the team drew closer. Each block of stone that made up the walls must have weighed hundreds of tons, and they all fitted together seamlessly into a solid wall that implied massive strength. Patches of a faint green tinge hinted at moss and of climbing plants growing up the shear walls. The feline zoid slowed, and Steve backed off too. They were approaching the gates. And what gates they were!

As they passed beneath the gateway, the team saw that the huge gates were made in sections. There were the main parts, four enormous slabs of metal hinged together so they could part in the centre and fold back, coated in shining bronze. Each section also had a smaller gate, cast in the same style as the main structure within it. With the main gates closed, the designs on the panels could be clearly seen. Each panel had a massive relief of a vaguely female figure on it, the features non-descript and plain. Other, smaller relief's surrounded the main ones, depicting many zoid types. The smaller gates were mounted such as to be directly between the huge figures legs. There was enough room even for the Hover Cargo to pass comfortably though the smaller gates.

Inside was a passage way though the walls themselves, to another set of gates. Passing though the second gateway, the transport entered a massive open area, like a city square made for zoids instead of people. A river ran down both sides, with arched bridges linking the open region with broad side streets. Buildings with an average of a half-dozen floors apiece lined those streets, but did not crowd them. The architects had clearly gone to great lengths to ensure the two materials used in the buildings construction, more of that pale stone and semi-precious metals like bronze, complimented each other rather than clashed. Windows were edged in the metal, and sweeping arches were above every door. Green plants grew in almost any space, from planters on ledges below windows to open areas of whole floors. The verges of all the streets and both rivers were also green with foliage, grasses and the odd tree along the streets, bushes and thicker tree growth along the river. The massive square had an ornate and large centrepiece. Standing tall and proud was a huge bronze statute of a Blade Liger, and balanced on its snout was the figure of a man, his long coat billowing in a breeze.

The Blitz Team gazed about them in awe as they rumbled along the main streets of the city. People moved about in a constant bustle, but with none of the hurried, 'don't touch me' attitude of most of the other large cities on Zi.

The route their guide led them along brought them almost to the massive walls before turning sharply left, following the line of the cliff and wall perched above. Along the way they passed over foaming rivers fed from the waterfalls cascading down the cliffs, weaved though lush forests and glided past great open parks. It was as if the cities builders had wanted as much plant life and flowing water as people and buildings within the city limits as possible. Soon they reached the end of the wall above, and a gentle ramp led up under the lee of the huge fort on the end. Beyond the ramp the road way led into an area that was less green than the rest of the city, but still had that cared for style.

"That region is our open-air section of the cities industrial region and the docks." The zoid pilot told them. "Though most of the manufacturing capacity is within the cliffs themselves, some processes need access to fresh air."

The road wound up around the fort in three great ramps. As they climbed, Stroller noted that the rocky region at the top of the first two ramps contained many hiding places for smaller zoids and troops. A small gate was hung open at the top of the third ramp. "Most of our population lives on the ground and second levels. The third and fourth levels are mainly commercial buildings, though you will find similar buildings scatter though out the residential areas too. No one is more than fifteen minutes away from a food outlet, and no more than twenty from a doctor, fire or police station."

"What about the last two?" Leon asked as the procession rose onto the next level, leaving the fort behind as they cruised along them main street. Up here there was only a hint that the spread was quite narrow, a trick of the architecture creating the illusion of an expansive space.

"The fifth is for cultural things, like our museum and plush hotels." The woman paused. "It also has the entrance to our people's final resting place." The Blitz needed no translation for what that meant. "The sixth level is the governmental level, and contains the administration for the whole city, as well as the access points for our military storage bunkers, crisis management centre, primary health care, and our main zoid hanger, though you will find smaller public ones throughout the city. It also contains the homes of certain people…"

"Like yourself?" Stroller probed.

"Maybe…" The humour was clear in her voice.

With each level, the lush growth of plant life remained constant, as did the number of small rivers and streams. Pools and small forests were interspersed amongst the buildings, preventing the city from feeling like a great, tightly packed mass of humanity. Up here the buildings up here had more glass and metal work in their construction, and tended to be taller than the residential buildings in the lower levels. Each level was also divided into two by small gatehouses, each with a set of the smaller gates. There was a feeling in the air, of a city that strived to be perfect. And to a degree it had achieved that aim. The streets were clean, traffic was barely enough to be given the label, and no one seemed oppressed or unhappy.

"Seems like paradise…" Sarah breathed as she lent against Leon. She could feel in the air a sense of peace she had never felt anywhere before. To a degree everyone else felt the same way. There was something… wholesome and natural about this place.

"Maybe…" Stroller said, rubbing his chin. "But have any of you noticed the fortifications? This city may be a paradise, but it is also a fortress, and a nigh impregnable one at that." Slowly the other's heads nodded. While weapons were not in evidence, the thickness of the walls, the single route up to the higher levels, the heavy metal gates all suggested a serious eye had been turned towards defence. Even the streets themselves would cause incredible trouble to an attacker, with the thick forests backing onto open parks, providing both cover and open target ranges for defenders. With potentially thousands of ambush points, any attacking army would suffer massively if they tried to take the city by force.

At last they turned onto the fifth level. As they crested the last ramp, the team noticed that behind them was an expansive open area, used as an airport. On any other city it would be dominating, but here it seemed almost small. There was space for a dozen Hammer Kaisers, and four of those slots were filled. One in particular caught Strollers eye. It was painted white, the colour of the ZBC.

"The ZBC must know about this place." He commented, nodding towards the display showing the resting transport.

A series of expensive looking hotels were between them and the wall, while to their right was a long building, fronted by a huge number of columns. It was clearly partly built into the mountain, as the bronze sloping roofs peak was against the cliff face. They approached the huge gatehouse, and tucked next to it was a wide-open area, were the Hover Cargo could easily be parked.

"This is where I'm afraid you'll have to exit your vehicle." The zoid pilot told them. "The entrance to the upper level is suitable only for individual zoids and people." Stroller shared a knowing look with Brad as Steve brought the Hover Cargo to rest. Even if an attacking force could fight its way all the way up here, it would be all but impossible to force their way onto the top level.

Outside the Hover Cargo a set of linked electric carts of various lengths waited. Steve climbed into the cab unit of a three-cart train while the rest of the team climbed in after him. The feline zoid led them into the gatehouse that bisected the fifth level. Part way though the zoid turned right, and stopped before a closed gateway. After a few seconds the heavy bronzed gates began to open, folding back with a gentle rumble. As they passed though, Bit noticed just how thick those gates were. Liger's Hybrid Cannons would barely scratch them.

Beyond the gate was another ramp leading back into the mountain. It was a gentle ramp, and off to both sides broad steps could be seen. Sunlight filtered down from the far end. As they rolled up the incline, Bit looked back towards the gates as they closed majestically behind them. He noticed that there were no signs of any guards at all.

At last they came back out to open air, to the most impressive sight yet. An open arena was spread out before them, with a massive fountain in the centre. On the far side of the fountain was a great building with a domed central structure, supported by a ring of columns. To the left was a region enclosed by tall hedges, with more angled bronzed roofs poking out above a pale, ivy-covered building. To the right, near the rim of the open area, yawned the entrance to a massive zoid hanger. Lights glowed within. Just above and to the left of the hanger was a large mansion, with considerable grounds edged in hedging. Tall trees waved in the gentle mountain breeze, and water flowed past in a gentle mountain stream. Further back and higher up there were signs of a pair of smaller dwellings.

The black cat zoid stopped and lowered its head. Steve stopped the carts too as the female pilot gracefully leapt out. As she stood up from her crouch, the zoid brought its head back up and moved towards the hanger under its own free will. The woman approached the Blitz Team.

"Just head towards the fountain." She said gently as she stepped in. The team took note of her dress. The black vest tucked into black shorts, from underneath which the grey body stocking emerged before tucking into her knee length black boots. She wore elbow length gloves in the same material as her body stocking. She was slim and clearly kept in shape, and walked with a feline grace that matched her zoid. Her short cut red hair hung just above her shoulders, and her liquid eye's swept over each one of them in turn. Steve engaged the drives again, and steered towards the massive fountain. Near the base was the small figure of a man, with a golden-yellow mass each side.

'_Maybe now we can get some answers as to what happened to Leena…'_ Bit thought darkly…

The massive fountain was even more impressive as the team got closer. The central core was a towering statute of what looked like some kind of rocket, with a spindly gantry besides it. The rocket itself was a collection of tubes stacked atop each other, tapering towards the tip. Half a dozen smaller tubes were arranged around the base, and the entire thing was at least twenty feet high. The water was sprayed out from the base of the rocket pad, capturing the moment of launch.

Slowly the team's sights dropped to the man waiting for them. He sat casually, legs outstretched and crossed at the ankles. Over his loose pale shirt and jeans he wore a long dark leather coat loosely, with a tan broad-brimmed hat shadowing his face. On the bench to his left, and lying by his feet, were two huge felines. Either one must have weighed at least twice as much as him. Faint stripes could be seen on the flanks of their silky golden coats. The man gently stroked the one massive head, while the second big cat appeared to be dozing. He looked up as they approached, and then whispered something to both cats. With a liquid grace they stood up, stretched, and began to pad away towards the mansion, each motion suggesting a lot of power and muscle hidden beneath those lovely fur coats. He stood up himself, and waited for the Blitz Team.

As the team climbed out of the carts, they noticed the woman who had guided them walk over to the waiting figure. They shared a quick kiss and a word before she walked off, following the huge cats.

"Welcome Blitz Team." He called as the team stepped forward. The old Blitz and Fluegel team members were astonished to recognise the man from the ball, the one who Derek had said was in charge of security. He looked far more comfortable now, casually dressed.

"I think it's about time I introduced myself. I am Christian Masters. I wish we could have had this meeting under better circumstances." A troubled look crossed his eyes.

"Likewise." Steve replied, wondering where he had heard the name 'Masters' before…

"So, where is Leena?" Bit stated, stepping forward purposely.

Christian smiled, a crafty but handsome smile, full of understanding and compassion. "I figured you wish to see her for yourselves right away." Bit felt a lot of his anger and frustration fade away. "If you'd care to follow me?" He began to lead them towards the ivy covered building at a gentle pace. The air itself felt wholesome and clean, full of life. The gentle whistle of the breeze in the trees and the tinkling of water flowing across rocks smothered any sounds of the city below.

"You have a lovely city here." Sarah complimented, gazing out over the green plains far below.

"Thank you. Took a long time to get it right."

"How long?" Stoller asked.

Another slight smile formed on the man's lips. "A _very_ long time."

They walked across an intricate wooden bridge to reach the entrance to the hedged in grounds. A sign above the simple gateway read 'Primary Health Centre.' As they entered, the team saw a connected set of lovely stone buildings wrapped in ivy, with a large garden surrounding it. The garden was divided up into dozens of small areas, and there were a few people walking about. Some were dressed in long pale blue robes, while women in a similar coloured uniform tended to the needs of those in the robes.

"This place is for our long term and seriously injured people." Christian told them quietly. "The small hospitals scattered throughout the city can tend to most cases, but here is where those who need constant care come." He stopped before a small covered desk, with young nurse sitting behind it. She perked up and paid him full attention.

"Could you tell me where a Miss Toros would be?"

The nurse looked down and punched a few commands into a terminal. "She's out of her room, by the wall." A computer map displayed the whole compound, with one flashing red blip in one of the areas by the outer wall. "Shall I call for a sister to guide you?"

"Thank you, no. I'm sure I can find my way around." Christian said with another of those small smiles. The young woman blushed a deep red.

Once they were past the helpdesk, Brad stepped up besides Christian. "You've been a patient here before then?"

"Amongst other things, yes." He glanced back at Naomi, before leaning towards Brad. "You'll be amazed how quickly one learns the layout of a hospital when you're waiting for your child to be born." He winked at the stunned Brad.

They wandered though the paths and gardens, the gentle smell of flowers and growth all around them. Small birds warbled in the air and trees, and everything seemed peaceful. The whole mood of the area was conductive to healing and life.

Christian brought them to a stop just before they reached a doorway though a hedge. Beyond him the lip of the wall could be seen. He turned to face them all, his expression grave.

"I had better warn you all now. She was badly injured when I got to her. The doctors here are the best, and all her physical injuries will heal in time, despite the severity of them." He heaved a deep sigh. "Her mental scars however, are a major worry. Hopefully seeing you all again will snap her out of the dark mood she had fallen into." He gestured to allow them to pass first.

Slowly they passed though, spacing out so they could all see. None of them could speak at first. Close to the stone a figure sat in a wheel chair, dressed in another blue robe. Flaming red hair hung down in bags, and the whole pose was one of deep depression. The person sat hunched over something in their lap.

Bit and Leon were the first to approach her. "Leena?" They both asked together, almost breathing the name.

The seated figure slowly turned her head, revealing the smooth, tear stained features of Leena Toros. At first there was no recognition, then joy spread across her face. "Leon… Bit!"

Both men ran to her, crouching down at her side. Both managed to keep the dismay from their faces as they saw the full extend of her ordeal. Both her right thigh and entire right arm were covered with what looked like a hardened gel, while two long plasters covered her forehead. In her lap she had been holding a jagged triangular piece of metal, one edge sliced neatly. It was slowly turning to stone, and was stained red.

Leon and Bit took turns hugging her gently, mindful of her injuries. Bit almost refused to let go, and she weakly returned the hug with her good arm.

"I'd thought I'd lost you…" he whispered into her ear, tears streaming from his eyes.

Soon the others gathered round, while Christian stood back, allowing the team time to heal.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Back at the Hover Cargo, something climbed down to the ground, and in a mass of metallic legs, began to scuttle away.

The Infiltration Arachnotron was a development of the suicide units deployed during the last war on Earth by the Cybrids. These new versions were smaller and had eight legs, but instead of the explosive charge the old models had carried, these held the most powerful CPUs available, extensive memory banks and powerful communication gear. They had been designed to slip unnoticed into enemy bases, map all the routes though it, locate all critical points, and then report in. They also had enough programming to be capable of sabotage when the Cybrid Legions attacked.

This particular unit had been dispatched by Helios to ride with the Blitz Team, to allow him to plot their movements. It had sensed the mists that blocked all sensors and communications, and had laid a fine fibre optic cable behind it, with a relay at each end. It would therefore be able to send its report to the nearside relay, which would be sent down the cable to the other side. The outer relay would then transmit the report to Helios himself.

The tiny Cybrid began to explore the city, following the central programming in its core…

X-X-X-X-X-X

The Blitz Team slowly made their way across the open plaza, their thoughts centred on Leena. A nurse had asked them to leave shortly after they had arrived: visiting time was over and many of the patients wished some time alone, including Leena. The nurse had been most humble, and clearly did not want to throw them out, but she had to.

"Some of our long term patients have been horribly scared, and they feel ashamed of their injuries around normal people."

Not even Christian had been excused. He had in fact been the first out.

As the procession passed by the fountain, Leon turned to face Christian.

"What happened to her? Really." He asked.

Christian sighed. "I'm not sure exactly how it began, but my zoid picked up a gabbled call for help. We both flew there as fast as possible, and we were nearly too late. Her zoid had been brought down, and the leader of the team sent after her was lining up for the coup de grace…

"We took out the… flyer at the longest possible range, hoping to distract the other pilot." The team noticed his hesitation. Clearly he knew something. "In the ensuring fight, we took out the four small units, not zoids but similar to the unknown machines that attacked you. The Gojulas had two escorts, both just like those which escorted the bomb unit..."

Bit and Brad exchanged glances. Clearly this guy knew a lot more than he was letting on.

"After we scared off the Gojulas pilot, we tended to Leena and her zoid." Christian took a deep breath, and the team tensed. Clearly it had been bad.

"She must have taken a direct missile hit to the side of the zoids head, just below the canopy. The upper jaw and armour there was torn apart, and the canopy… the canopy on that side had shattered." He looked at Leon face to face.

"She must have used her arm to shield her face, most likely saving her life. The shards of the canopy lacerated her pretty badly. Had they gone into her face, there would be little that could have saved her. At the very least she'd be blind." He left unsaid that such damage to her face would have caused horrendous disfigurement, but everyone realised that's what would have happened.

"And her leg?" Bit asked, almost not wishing to know.

"A strip of the head armour was folded inwards. It buckled and bent till the edge pointed inwards. The force of the explosion drove it right though her thigh." Naomi felt faint and had to cling to a pale Brad. Several others went pale at the thought of such an injury.

"I sliced the end off, to allow me to get her out. I don't have the skill, nor did I have the equipment, to safely remove the metal from her. Very few do." Some of the sad look in Christian's eyes faded. "She was very lucky though. The doctor who removed the fragment told me that it had somehow weaved between her thighbone, all her nerves and tendons, and had only nicked her thigh muscles. She soon will be able to walk again, perhaps within the next couple of days."

His eyes darkened again. "But I am worried about her. That shard of metal she was holding was the part that was buried in her leg." The blood drained from Bit's face at the thought of that huge chunk of metal embedded in his dear Leena's leg.

Pierce slowly managed to tear her thoughts away from Leena's injuries. "You kept saying 'we'. Who was the other person?"

"Why my zoid of course." At the teams' blank looks, one of Christian's eyebrows rose. "You're saying that none of you have a zoid partner?"

Jamie shrugged. "Well, Bit and Vega do, and to a degree so do Leon and Stoller… The rest of us just use the same zoid all the time."

"After all, their really nothing more than machines…" Stoller stated.

As he said that, the air seemed to chill several degrees.

"Nothing could be further from the truth." Christian had halted, and stared hard into Stollers face. "Zoids are living beings just like you or me. They may have metal where we have flesh, but don't ever think that a zoid is a mere 'Machine', like a jeep or a Cybrid."

"Cybrid?" Bit asked, desperate to steer the conversation away from this topic.

Christian sighed. "Cybrid is the name for the race of machines that produced those units that attacked you and Leena. They're also the one's responsible for the recent attacks on lone zoids."

"Where… Where did they come from?"

Christian smiled sadly. "Us. We made them."

* * *

**DR: **The penny drops... 


	37. The History of War

**DR: **Okay this one is a little short, but it will lay to rest a lot of your questions and concerns...

**Zeke: **But it will raise other questions...

**DR: **Hush.

* * *

Chapter 37: The History of War

The Blitz Team staggered under the weight of such a claim. How could someone have created such a race of monsters?

As Bit's face began to darken and scowl, Christian shook his head. "No, not here, and not by me or the people in this city. Not even on Zi."

"Then where?" Sarah asked in a small voice.

Christian looked up the gentle path that led to the mansion, before glancing at his watch. "First, we eat. It's getting late and I doubt any of you have had a chance to sit down and eat something." Most of the Blitz suddenly realised just how hungry they were. None of them had dared while they had travelled here, too tense and worried to worry about such mundane stuff as food. Even Naomi had forgotten to eat, and her stomach rumbled emptily.

Christian led them up to the mansion, his home. It was large and airy, with the structure built from more of the pale stone and timber. The furniture was also wooden, and looked hand carved. Fittings and details were done using more semi-precious metals.

He led them to a large patio with a huge dinner table in the centre. Places were set, and bowls of vegetables had been placed in the centre. As the team moved forward to sit, two women came out from the house, one carrying a large carving tray piled high with roast meat, the other holding a pair of gravy jugs. The first one was the woman who had led them though the mists, but had changed her clothing to a long, dark red wine coloured sleeveless dress, with a thinner shirt made of the same material over the top. The other was the brunette woman from the ball, dressed comfortably in a loose pale shirt with a simple knee length black skirt. Her long hair hung down her back in one long waterfall. Once they had placed their loads on the table they sat either side of Christian, sitting at the head of the table.

"Allow me to introduce my ladies Susan…" He gestured to the brunette, who blushed slightly. "…And Samantha." The redhead bowed her head slightly.

As the team ate, Sarah counted the number of spaces on the table. "You often have large dinner parties?"

"Sometimes." Christian replied. "Our, team I suppose, is a half dozen strong. We often have some friends around, including two couples…"

"Sometimes we have some of the Council members too…" Susan put in, her voice a gently lift when compared to Christian's deeper tone.

"Yes, the Council." Christian grimaced. "The City Council is the government for these lands and the city. Nine members, including myself, representing all the major branches of the populace..."

The Blitz team listened to him go on about the council, but mainly concentrated on eating. None of them were going to pass up free food, particularly food this fine. It wasn't rich or extravagant, but simple fare filled with goodness and care. And there was lots of it, enough to feed even a ravenously hungry Blitz Team.

At last even Naomi was full. The team retired to a set of chairs in the main patio area, flanked by a sweeping garden on one side and a huge pond on the other. Samantha took the meat tray inside, and shortly afterwards brought it back out. Both huge cats were waiting, a pleading look in their eyes.

"All right, here you are…" She said as she gently laid the tray down on the ground. Both cats moved forward and began to chew at the remaining scraps of food, licking up the juices with the meat scraps. Susan meanwhile had snuggled up to Christian, who had put an arm round her.

Quickly the two huge cats polished the tray clean, and sat back, licking their lips. While the one began to wash itself there, the other came over and laid down at Christians feet to wash – to the consternation of the Blitz Team, since the cat must have been at least twelve feet long, not counting the tail.

"It's all right, she won't hurt anyone." Christian gently stroked the huge head, and the cat responded with a rumbling purr.

"I've never seen animals like that." Pierce commented her eyes wide as she took in the strongly built body. "What are they?"

"Their Ligers. Real flesh and blood Ligers. Any of you know anything about Earth's wildlife?" Of all the team, only Sarah nodded. Christian looked sad for a moment.

"Well, I'll explain another time then."

Sarah took the opportunity to ask her earlier question. "So, these 'Cybrids', where did they come from?"

Susan shuddered fractionally when Sarah said the word 'Cybrids'.

"The story of the Cybrids goes back a long way, to the days well before mankind first set foot on Zi. Humans were setting up colonies throughout the Earth's star system, and were still warring with each other." Christian sighed. "Mankind has always been fighting itself over the ages. Eventually scientists and engineers began to create machines equipped with artificial intelligence to fight the wars on behalf of the humans. Unlike any previous human war machine, these machines walked, instead of rolled along the ground. These new machines of war, called 'Herculean Fighting Machines' or 'HERCs' for short, were the first true 'Cybrids', built to wage war for mankind. But shortly after mankind had finally begun to settle down, the main control intelligence, known as 'Prometheus', turned on his creators. And with him, the legions of all the Earth's countries turned on their former masters.

"During those first few months of war, the Cybrids extracted a heavy toll on human life. Many cities that had stood for hundreds of years were razed. Millions died in the carnage." The Blitz Team shuddered at the thought of a worldwide massacre, a world stained red with human blood.

"At first, the human race survived by running and hiding. But sooner or later we had to fight back. But it was not until the discovery of pre-Cybrid HERCs that we could fight back on an almost even footing." Christian took a moment to have a drink.

"We narrowly managed to defeat the initial uprising, but Prometheus escaped, and set up a new base on the dark side of Earth's moon. There he rebuilt his legions, calling in all the Cybrids that had been off world at the time, guarding small outposts scattered throughout the star system. Within two years, he launched a new assault, intended to once and for all wipe out humanity for good." At this point Christian smiled.

"Prometheus had one flaw though. He could never think outside the box like a human can. We fought off his initial attack wave, but Prometheus was drowning us in Cybrids. In the end we came up with a desperate gamble. After capturing a set of Cybrid landing craft, we took the fight to Prometheus himself, on the moon. And we got him that time."

Christian sighed. "We didn't know at the time that he had a contingency plan. Several months later our observatories tracked a dozen huge star ships leaving our star system. So the Outreach Program was re-started and accelerated." He waved towards the huge fountain. "A number of colony ships of our own were sent out to the stars, each with a contingent of HERC pilots with the last of our top of the line hardware. Even if one of those ships returned packed with Cybrids, the human race would live on.

"Too bad fate decided to have the ship sent here, Voyager six, be followed by a Cybrid craft." He glanced up at the sky, as the light faded. "I think it's time you all turned in. You've had a long day and it's getting late."

Bit cracked a yawn, and the rest of the team felt drowsy. Susan appeared to be already asleep, and Naomi was nodding off.

"Sam will show you to our guest quarters on the fifth level, or you can sleep in your transport. Your choice."

Steve glanced at the others before answering. "I think we'll sleep in the Hover Cargo."

"Okay, that'll be fine. One thing: Tomorrow morning I'd like to have your transport lifted up to this level, and to inspect your zoids in the open air, if that's all right…" Steve saw no problem with either request, and so the Blitz Team bade them goodnight.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Next morning the team slowly awoke. Long travel with good food at the end had conspired to send them all to the land of nod for some time. But they were all up in time to witness some very fine handling of a Whale King, as it first manoeuvred into position directly overhead, then hovered while magnetic clamps were attached. The lift was so smooth and gentle the team hardly felt it.

When they were set down again on the upper level, a call came though the radio. It was Christian.

"Everyone okay in there?"

"We're all fine, thank you." Steve called back.

"Good. Now, why don't you bring your zoids out, say though the forward lower hatch? I reckon their feeling a little cooped up by now…" There was a playful tone in his voice.

After a few minutes to allow everyone to get to their zoids, they began to emerge. Stoller was first, the Elephander sending minor tremors though the ground as it walked. Once clear and away from the transport, it trumpeted proudly, at last back in the open air. It rolled its great, tusked head to loosen up both ears, before stepping forward to make room for the other zoids.

The next out was Leon's Blade Liger, its dark red head swinging back and forth. It rolled its shoulders, before standing tall and proud. The morning sunlight gleamed off all the golden blades and seemed to set the deep red panels aflame.

Pierce's Storm Sworder waddled out after a few seconds. The slivery grey flying zoid was not too comfortable about being forced to walk out of the transport, but once clear, it stretched its wings and cried out proudly. Each curved panel had a mirrored strip of sunlight on them, with a line of fire running down from the end of the crest to the tip of its long beak.

The Raynos of Jamie was next, the two-tone green zoid sliding out in a much more subdued manner than its flying companion. It slowly waddled next to the Storm Sworder. It did not engage in any great motion like the others, but stood there, calm and collected.

The Liger Zero roared as it emerged from within the transport, striding purposefully to be just ahead of the other zoids. The sunlight gleamed off its white armour panels brilliantly, and the gold teeth and claws seemed to glow. The golden-yellow eyes pulsed, and within the cockpit, Bit got a sense of complete peace emanating from the Liger…

The Shadow Fox, like its namesake, slid out in the Ligers shadow. It sidled up beside the Liger and growled, like some faithful pet. The gleaming gold sections of its armour almost obscured the jet-black body with their shine. Even stood still it seemed to be running.

Naomi was still able to pilot a zoid, and so she brought her flaming red Gunsniper out herself. After shaking itself, it quickly stepped up besides the Fox, and seemed to almost rest a fore claw on the Foxes shoulder. Like the Blade Liger, the crimson panels seemed almost aflame in the morning sun.

The Fury's roar heralded its exit from the transport. Its pristine shadow grey armour and clear power demanded respect, and by god the Fury intended to get it! It walked languidly to stand besides the Liger Zero, minor tremors resounding though the ground.

Bit and Vega both understood the Ligers growl. **#Do you have to be so loud?#**

**#Just making sure everyone knows I'm here!# **The Fury roared back.

**#I think they knew already…#**

Chuckling to himself, Bit quickly climbed down to join the other members of the team as they approached Christian and his female companions by the central fountain. Sarah and Steve joined the pilots.

"Most impressive." Christian commented, looking over each zoid with a keen eye. "You've clearly been taking good care of them all." Faintly behind them the Blitz heard the whine of one of those electric carts roll up and stop.

Suddenly the Liger roared out in joy, and the Fury was quick to follow.

**#Master!#** Vega at first thought the Fury was calling him, but the tone was full of joy.

Laughter carried across the air as the Blitz turned to see both great zoids had moved towards the cart, and the four people who had just stepped out of it. The Liger stopped just before one couple. The man was of medium height and compact build, his dark brown hair streaked with a few grey highlights thrown back in a series of spiky points. The other figure was a slim female; her pink clothing making a soft contrast to her companion's dark clothes, and a long tail of silvery blond hair fell down her almost to her ankles. As the Liger lowered its massive head, purring away like some over grown kitten, both people embraced its snout.

Besides them the Fury swung its great head low to almost touch the other male figure. The movement revealed the other person, with a head crowned in vibrant, bright blue hair.

Sarah gasped and her face paled. Leon too sucked in his breath, as the man reached out a hand to touch the Fury. The Blitz stared at him. Slim and athletic, his shoulder length hair was predominantly black, like a ravens, but had a few grey streaks in it too.

He threw back his head and yelled "SHADOW!" before clinging to the Fury. His out cry had been filled with relief and passion. His female companion was dressed in a selection of blue hues.

Slowly the Blitz team turned to Christian, a smile of satisfaction on his face.

"I guess I'd better introduce these four now, just in case you can't guess who they are." He said in reply to their looks. "The pair with the Liger Zero are Van Flyheight and his wife Fiona, while those two with the Fury are Raven and his wife, Resse."

* * *

**Shadow: **Raven's back!

**DR: **Yep, and so is Van. Enjoy!


	38. The Living Legends

**DR: **Okay, some more questions and shocks are en-route, so sit tight...

* * *

Chapter 38: The Living Legends

The looks on the faces of the Blitz Team was priceless, but then again, it was not everyday that one comes face to face with the heroes of past. These four people were legendary, their names spoken with awe and dread, depending on which one was being referring to.

Van Flyheight was considered the greatest hero Zi had ever seen, always putting others before himself and courageous. Almost unmatched in skill and daring, wise beyond his years and dedicated to justice. And for Fiona, his Ancient Zoidian friend, and eventual lover and wife, there was no other female who was close to her in fame. Her charity and warmth were held up as models for many generations of children. Together the two of them had formed an unbreakable team, and together with their companions, saved Zi from the brink of a new apocalypse.

Raven though was a name linked to the dark side of mankind. A cruel, arrogant and ruthless warrior, he was the dark knight to Van's light, and his greatest rival. The battles between the two of them had been told throughout the world, and had grown in scale with each telling, till it had reached the point that the air itself had been split asunder by their clashes. Although in the years that followed the last climatic battle that featured them both the truth about Raven's troubled and difficult past had been revealed and he had settled down, his name was still only spoken of in hushed whispers.

Resse was still, even after all these years, something of a mystery. Her past before appearing during the early days of the Guardian Force, of which Van had been one of the core members, was still shrouded in darkness. All that was known was that she too had a rough early life, one that had scarred her just as much as Ravens past had him. And if people feared Raven out in the plains between cities, they feared her in the dark places, in the alleys and hidden rooms, since she was capable of taking control of people directly, turning them into virtual slaves.

Her reputation however was softened by the fact that it had been her who had been most responsible for Ravens change of heart. No one really knew how these two bitter and twisted souls had done it, but they had helped each other to rediscover the good side in them both.

Slowly the four living legends walked towards the Blitz Team, smiles on all four faces, the two Ultimate X zoids slowly following them. Van in fact chuckled at the looks of pure shock running rampant on their faces.

"What's the matter? You all look like you've seen a ghost."

Bit managed to find his tongue. "I'm not sure we haven't…"

Fiona stepped closer, and gently rested a hand on his shoulder, a warm smile lighting up her face. "We're real, just as real as you." She said gently.

Bit was stunned to realise that when she had touched him, he had felt as if a missing piece of his heart had been returned. At that moment Bit felt a connection to Fiona Flyheight that he had never really felt before. The last time he had felt this way about anyone before was with his parents…

Raven and Resse slowly stepped up to face Sarah and Vega. The resemblance between her and Sarah was clear, making the differences between them both stand out. Her eyes were larger in her head than Sarah's, and she was quite a bit shorter. Her short cut hair was a much lighter shade than Sarah's, with the odd streak of silver, but if you mixed her bright blue locks with Ravens dark grey, the end result would be the dark blue of Sarah's tresses.

Vega and Raven however seemed to be almost duplicates of each other, two sides to the same coin. While Raven was far older, with age lines on his face and silver creeping into his hair, Vega was still youthful and full of life. But the marked difference was in their faces. Ravens expression still had a lingering element of his lifestyle, a face of a cold, cruel man who ruthlessly pursued his goals. Vega however was an open book, honest and child like.

"It's almost uncanny…" Raven muttered, shaking his head slightly. "The lad could be me reincarnated."

"He practically is, dear." Resse chided him before turning to Sarah. "It's a pleasure and an honour to finally meet you, Miss Obscura."

"T… Thank you…" Sarah stuttered, almost unable to believe whom she was speaking to.

Raven turned to Sarah now, his eyes filled with gratitude. "I… have to… thank you for freeing Shadow." He said slowly, as if he had rarely said 'thank you' to anyone before. "When he was taken, I…" He couldn't continue, the emotion in his voice shutting off his throat.

Behind them, the Fury stepped forward to lower its great head to nudge Raven, answering Sarah's unspoken question about who this 'Shadow' person was. _'Shadow was also the name given to Ravens 2rganoids…' _Her breath suddenly rushed in.

Leon got the implication too. "Wait, are you saying that the Fury really belongs to you?"

Raven looked back over his shoulder, into the Fury's eye, before replying. "Once, long ago. Though I never really 'owned' Shadow, he was my only companion…" He looped an arm round Resse, a smile forming on his lips. "…Until I got close to Resse that is."

"And a long and stormy romance it was." Christian chipped in from the sides. Van and Resse grinned happily, while Raven flushed slightly. "How many years here did it take you to finally marry her?" Christian continued teasingly.

"Almost four…"

"Ha! More like five." Van corrected him. The moment of friendly banter eased the tension in the Blitz, just as Christian had intended it to.

Bit turned to stand face to face with Van. "Let me guess; the Liger was once yours too."

Van grinned happily. "Oh yea. My partner from the beginning." The Ligers happy roar confirmed that clearly. "Even when he was two separate beings."

"What?" Bit was confused, and so were the rest of the team.

"The Liger Zero isn't just a Liger. It's a fusion of a highly experienced Blade Liger, and an 2rganoids." Christian told them. "In this case, the 2rganoids was Van's partner Zeke, and the Blade Liger was the one Van piloted."

Bit stared up at the Liger, his jaw hanging. "You never told me you once roamed the world with Van Flyheight!"

**#You never asked!#**

Van and Fiona laughed at the look on Bit's face. "I see the gene for stating the 'bloody obvious' has been passed down alongside the piloting skills." Raven commented, from underneath his smirk of amusement.

That comment caused all mirth to disappear from the faces of the Blitz Team. What on Zi could he have meant by that?

"Is it not obvious?" Raven continued. "Why is it out of all the other people who tired to pilot the Liger Zero, only Bit Cloud was acceptable? How about the fact that the only other 'Ultimate X' pilot happens to be descended from an ancient zoidian and the zoids old pilot?"

Steve turned to regard Bit, Fiona and Van. Now that they stood together, he could see striking similarities between them. Bit's build was almost identical to Van's, with them both similar heights. The angles on Bit's face were slightly softer versions of Van's. And while his hair followed the same natural tendencies to form spikes, Bit's hair was a strong yellowy blond, not brown like Van's. But Fiona's hair was a pale blond, with the odd streak of silver… Steve felt his jaw drop for the second time that morning. But it was Leon who popped the question.

"You mean… Bit is in fact descended from Van and Fiona?"

Van slowly nodded. "You'd be surprised how many people are descended from us." He looked playfully at Fiona, who blushed.

"I liked having kids…"

"Liked? You two were – still are, in fact – worse than rabbits!" Fiona flushed even redder at Christians playful comment. Some of the shock in the Blitz's faces faded into humour at the embarrassment that filled her face.

"I think what Van was trying to say is that the number of people who have either him and Fiona or Raven and Resse as ancestors is quite large." Christian continued.

Van nodded. "But so few ever really show that heritage." He then grinned at Bit. "With a few exceptions."

Christian smiled with the rest of them. Then he noticed how Naomi was subtly shifting from one foot to the other. "I think we'd best continue this discussion somewhere else. Where we can all sit down." The relief on Naomi's face said it all.

"What about our zoids?" Stoller asked in puzzlement.

Van grinned again. "They'll find their way inside the hanger. Both Zeke and Shadow have lived here before, so they should know where they can stay." He turned to the Liger Zero. "Right buddy?" The Ligers positive roar was echoed by the Fury's bellow.

"Then it's settled. Let's get something to eat, and some comfortable chairs. Then we can discuss who's related to whom." Christian turned to Samantha. "Sam, could you go and check on Leena? See if the doctors are willing to release her to her families care…"

Samantha smiled and headed towards the hospital, but Bit noticed that on her face had been another emotion. Apprehension.

'_Now why would she be apprehensive about seeing Leena…?'_

X-X-X-X-X-X

The Liger watched the gathered humans and Ancient Zoidians walk off, before he and the Fury stepped towards the inviting hanger. After a moment, the other zoids began to follow, in tentative, jerky steps.

Liger shook his head. These young zoids were so used to being ordered around by human pilots that they had not really matured and gained their free will. Though to be fair it had been that way quite often back when he had been a simple organoid. It was only now, a fully matured zoid that his mind was complete and he knew what he wanted. True, both the Shadow Fox and the Blade Liger were more experienced and intelligent than the others. The result of their evolutions from normal zoids, though the Shadow Fox was a bit of a sport, since he had been created in the advanced state he was.

Blade was more intelligent and free willed than he should be though. Zero knew why, and he knew that Van, Raven and the other older pilots knew why too.

…_**At least his personality is nothing like that bloodthirsty maniacs…**_

**#Hey, do you think Mnementh will be here?# **The Fury's question interrupted the Ligers thoughts.

**#Perhaps. Certainly the others should be here#**

**#Great! It's been so long…#**

**#That it has, old friends…# **the feminine zoids voice was older and wiser than either the Fury or Liger. They both looked up to see one of their old mentors waiting for them.

**#Eros! Great to see you again!# **The Fury bellowed back. The silvery white zoid swished its long multi-stranded tail as it neighed in greeting.

**#Is everyone here?#** Liger asked the older zoid as they followed her into the chamber reserved for the old warriors. The other Blitz Team zoids hung back, awed over at the sight of such an ancient and powerful zoid. A team of techs began to wave them over to bays prepared for them.

**#Everyone except Mnementh and Aries are. Aries went off to do some digging into those recent attacks# **Eros shook 'her' long head, the flowing silver metal 'hairs' that ran down the back of her neck waving about. **#As for Mnementh, the old codger's off on another of his flights round the mountains#**

**#By Eve, he must get some twisted pleasure out of scaring people senseless!# **All three zoids laughed at the Fury's comment about the antics of the truly ancient zoid Mnementh. It was his actions in the mists that had caused most of the rumours that made the casual human explorer stay away.

**#He's certainly got the size and the physique to pull it off…#**

The Liger chuckled. **#Even after all these years, you've still sweet on him!#**

**#Hey, he's an impressive zoid!# **Eros countered, embarrassment colouring her voice.

To the human techs looking over the Blitz Teams zoids, all they heard of the conversation was growls, bellows and neighs. The couple of organoids who worked in the hanger understood every word spoken by the old zoids. They all knew however what was happening. The old friends were getting reacquainted.

The oldest 2rganoids chuckled as the three zoids stepped though the archway into the reserved hanger section, before turning to Leon's red Blade Liger.

**#Okay, Blade is it? Let's have a good look at you…#**

X-X-X-X-X-X

Samantha walked down the corridor towards Leena's room. The doctors had told her that Leena's condition was stable. All that was really needed was time now.

Physically anyway. Mentally however they were still concerned. The young woman had withdrawn into herself, still clinging to the fragment of her zoid that had been stabbed into her. This depression could not be healthy, but nothing seemed to work. The leading psychoanalyst suspected her condition was in part related to the fact that her mother had died when she was very young.

It might also have been connected to her placing in the Blitz Team. It was well known that Leena Toros was the weakest member of the team. Bit Cloud was by far the best, since he combined raw skill with courage and an Ultimate X zoid. Brad Hunter was considered second, for his consistent and reliable performance. Piloting a sudo-evolved zoid helped as well. Jamie, while a weaker pilot than Leena technically, was a brilliant strategist, and he had an alternate personality who was considered just as skilled as Brad, maybe a little bit more.

With the recent influx of new team members, Leena had gone from fourth of the best Class A team around to ninth in a rising Class S team. Such a situation would be depressing for anyone.

Sam stopped before the door to Leena's room, and took several deep breaths. Then she pushed it open.

Leena was sitting in a chair by the window, gazing out over the city below, but not actually seeing it. In her lap was her almost constant companion these days: the shard of metal. Samantha almost broke down at the look on her face. It was a look of complete despair, of a woman lost in her past. Her hair had faded, and she looked thin, gaunt. Sam glanced to her left, and saw that the breakfast that had been brought to Leena was untouched. She sighed deeply. It was worse than she had thought.

Slowly she walked over to the younger woman. "Leena? May I talk with you for a minute?"

Slowly Leena turned away from the view to regard the other woman. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of hair as brilliantly red as her own had been. "Sure, why not? It's not like I have anything else to do…" She replied after a few moments.

Sam eased herself down into a second chair, facing Leena. "How are you feeling?"

"Why is it everyone is asking me that these days?" Leena snapped.

"Because we're all concerned about you…"

"Well, don't bother!" Leena turned away to stare back out the window.

Sam sighed again as she looked down. "I can't help it. It's in my blood…" she said quietly.

Leena turned sharply back, wondering what the hell that could mean.

"Leena," Sam looked up again. "How much do you know about your mother? Her family?"

Leena was taken back by the sudden change of topic. "Not much, I'm afraid. Dad's never really felt comfortable talking about her…"

Sam nodded in understanding. "Shortly after her death, her own mother died. I think Sandra's death broke her heart." She slowly pulled something out of her pocket. "It has been tradition that this should be passed down from mother to daughter, with each death." She cradled the object gently.

"What is it?" Leena asked gently, her mind fully alert for the first time since her attack.

"A family heirloom passed down the generations." Sam slowly held her hand out. Leena could see that it was necklace, made from bronze and a dark stone. A smooth round stone was held in between the points of two bronze claws. No wait, the stone wasn't smooth; it was etched with some kind of pattern. Leena could see the quality workmanship that had gone into this piece.

As Sam gently tipped the necklace into Leena's hand, she was finally able to place the dark stone used in it. It was hematite, very rare and expensive here on Zi. The amount of the rich, dark stone here would be enough to pay for a completely new Gunsniper, with all her custom weapon fits. Combined with the craftwork and the bronze setting, she could afford a half-dozen such zoids!

But all that paled into insignificance at the feeling that came over Leena as she held it. This necklace was a tangible link to her mother, and her distant family. Here was something from the past, and it gave her great comfort. She only had a few vague memories of her mother, since she'd been little more than a baby when she had died. But she distinctly remembered her mother telling her that one-day she would receive a precious necklace…

"How… how did they make it, and when? You'd need a fortune to make this! The hematite alone would cost millions!"

Sam smiled gently. "It was made centuries ago, for a mans lover. It was in fact quite cheap to make, since he not only hand carved the stone himself, but at the time they were on Earth, which had an abundance of hematite."

Leena's breath suddenly vanished. Earth! The cradle of Humanity itself! Like everyone who grew up on Zi, Leena knew a little about Earth. She had never really paid attention in history classes, since they focused on the past. Nothing seemed to be relevant to the here and now.

Yet now, here she was, holding in the palm of her hand an object that had crafted on that selfsame world, several hundred years ago! An object that had been passed down though the ages, from mother to daughter, down the lines. All the way to her grandmother…

Leena frowned. "If it is meant to be passed down the generations, how come when my grandmother died, this was not sent to me?"

Sam smiled sadly. "At the time you were too young. And one cannot simply post something like this. Tradition says that it should be handed down in person."

She gently plucked the necklace out of Leena's hand. Sam gently opened the ends and looped round Leena's neck. As she bent over to fasten the necklace, Leena was stunned to see _another_ necklace slip out from underneath the other woman's loose top and hang down. It was exactly alike!

Another fragment of memory came back to her. Her mother had mentioned that there had been another necklace, the first one made. The one passed down would be a copy, while the original remained around the neck of the woman it was made for…

As Sam stepped back, Leena looked into her eyes. "You've got the same necklace! But my mother…"

"Told you that there were only two, and the other one was still around the neck of the woman it was made for?" Leena slowly nodded.

"It still is."

"What? How… I mean… your saying…" Leena's jaw hung open as she looked at the other woman.

"That I'm the one who the necklace was made for." Sam smiled in compassion. "And yes, we are related. Thirty-eight generations separated, but sometimes past blood breeds true even over such gaps."

Leena could only gape at her living ancestor.

* * *

**DR: **Yet another punch line! God I'm cruel...

**O'Neill: **What? How so?

**Carter: **Colonel...

**O'Neill: **Carter, you don't have to call me 'Colonel' anymore...

**Carter: **Sorry Co... Jack. (Blushes)

**DR: **Well, till next week people!


	39. Tales From the Past

**DR: **Not much to say right now...

* * *

Chapter 39: Tales From the Past

As they turned the last corner on the path that led up to Christians home, the Blitz suddenly came up short. Ahead, just by the gate that led inside, was a miniature zoid. Miniature when compared to normal zoids anyway. It was almost fifteen feet long, nose to tall. Its shape was that of a tyrannosaur, and its skin was made up of smoothly curved bronze segments. As the thing stood up on its powerful hind legs, a heavy necklace with a central glowing gem hung down between its fore arms, each arm ending in a trio of wickedly sharp claws. The glowing green eyes underneath its swept back brow looked at them coolly.

Vega had a sudden flash of recognition. He'd seen this form before, in the Fury's mind. After everything he had learned today, there was only one thing it could be…

Christian however was completely unfazed by the appearance of the organoid. "Councillor Racknor. This is a surprise!"

The organoid growled, and the crystal in the necklace began to pulse with power. **"Greetings Councillor Masters. I heard that you had brought the Blitz Team here, to our city. I wished to meet them myself." **Each pulse of the crystal was in time with the syllables of the speech. Clearly the necklace was some kind of translator, dressed up as jewellery.

"Ah ha." Christian nodded, a slight smile on his lips. "This wouldn't happen to have been a suggestion from say, Councillor Traven?"

The Organoid's return growl was almost a laugh. **"Yes, he did mention it. The old fool is getting even more paranoid these days…"**

"And your not? After all, you have been on the council longer than him."

"**And you've been on the council since it was conceived. I know better than to not trust your judgement."**

Bit turned to look at Christian. "Wait, he said that you've been on the council since it was first created. But you said…"

Christian faced the team. "I think you'll all want to be sitting down when I tell you the tale of this city, and mine." His face told them all that he was not kidding. "Councillor, would you care to join us? I'm sure we can dig out something for you."

"**I would be honoured to join you at your table."**

X-X-X-X-X-X

Deep within the heart of their secret base, Helios watched the Dark Lord continue to brood about the Blitz Team. Their recent disappearance had really off set him, and not even the reports of the latest attacks could excite him.

Helios was not duly concerned. He had had the foresight to dispatch an infiltration Cybrid to attach itself to the teams transport. A report was due from it soon. Wherever they had gone, Helios would find them.

Of more concern were the fragments of data he had recovered from Raymond Gojulas zoid, and from the remaining databanks of the two Diablos. Helios now ran all the operations that the Dark Lord used to. A hidden agent within the ZBC had sent them all the data that had been pulled from the ruined machines, before destroying the ZBC's own records. They would have nothing to go on about his legions.

Piecing together the fragments revealed not much, but clearly a zoid of immense power had engaged his force. Raymond's account, the reports from the ZBC rescue team, the fragments of data, they all allowed Helios to build a shaky picture of what had happened.

This unknown zoid flew, and was heavily armed and armoured. According to Raymond, it was large enough to hold a Diablo in one forepaw, and it breathed flames hot enough to melt down the old Ramses units. It also had a charged particle cannon, backed up with missiles and pulse lasers.

What ever it was, once he brought his full force to bear, it would not survive…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Bit almost choked on his drink. "You're kidding? Over eight HUNDRED years old?"

Christian sat back, chuckling as he looked over the expressions of pure shook and disbelief that covered the Blitz's faces. "Yes. Eight hundred and seventy-two next autumn."

"But, how?" Pierce asked in a quiet voice.

"First, I have to explain the origin of this city. When the Death Saurer came for the Ancient Zoidians capital, Eveopolis, Zoid Eve came up with a daring plan. She knew that the Death Saurer could not be destroyed forever, so she planed to trap it for eternity."

The gathered team listened in awe as Christian explained.

"She began to create a pair of special zoids, powerful enough when working together to overpower the Death Saurer and encase it in the very fabric of her power. However the process was taking too long and the Death Saurer was closing in. In desperation, a call went out, for any zoid willing to hold a line in the sand long enough for her to complete the zoids." He sighed deeply.

"Hundreds stepped forward, to protect their god, their mother. They engaged the Death Saurer a few miles beyond the city limits. They all knew they were as good as dead, but every second they could hold the monster up, the more chance that Eve could complete her work. The defenders were forced back, their numbers thinned rapidly. The Death Saurer was close to obtaining its goal…"

"And that was?" Stroller asked.

"To completely possess Zoid Eve." Fiona answered, her face grim. "With her power as its own, the Death Saurer would have been able to remake the whole world as it saw fit." She felt ashamed at how Prozen had twisted her vague memories to do his bidding. If it hadn't been for Van, she would have made a terrible mistake. One that would have killed her, nearly everyone in this city, and all the zoids on the planet, except the Death Saurer itself.

"By that point, there were only five zoids left to slow it down." Christian picked up the tale again. "They pushed themselves beyond their limits, trying to buy just one more second for her."

The whole team felt in their hearts a deep felt respect for those zoids. It was the same respect that is given to anyone who willingly stands at the gates of hell itself, determined not to let the monsters within pass. And all for one person, one who meant more to them than life itself.

"One by one, they were cast down. The last one to fall was the last one anyone had expected to survive. He had been at the forefront of every battle that tried to stop the Death Saurer. From the beginning to the very end, he had survived. And he had been nothing more than a Redler, and a 'sport' one at that. He was so old he had evolved to the next level before that final battle.

"But their sacrifice was not in vain. For even as the Blue Redler – as he was known - was brought down from the skies where he had ruled for so long, Zoid Eve finished her work. Her two newest creations did their job, but they would have never been able to do so without the self-sacrifice of all those other zoids. Entire strains of zoids had been wiped out. Thousands had been killed, their cores taken to feed the Death Saurer's hunger for power.

"But even as the Death Saurer was entombed, it managed to prevent itself from being completely stopped. It released its core, and abandoned its body. Eve and her scorpion guards did not have the strength to stop it. So the Death Saurer's evil spirit escaped, to someday return."

The Blitz team felt almost let down, and Naomi wrapped an arm round her belly in reflex.

"Eve knew that she was too weak to hold it off again, due to the efforts of a set of priests who how somehow decided that if she was destroyed then the Death Saurer would have been destroyed with her, and her scorpions were drained. She told her most trusted Zoidian priests, who had remained loyal to her, to place the Scorpions in a stasis pod, to allow them to recover. Using the last of her power, she resurrected those last five zoids. And to them she entrusted a sacred mission."

"What?" Leon asked quietly.

"To stand before the Death Saurer again, the next time it returned. She gifted them with improved powers, and a small fragment of herself. These zoids became immortal, never to die of old age, and with incredible healing powers. Nothing less than total destruction of their cores could kill them now.

"Years later, the Death Saurer found a mind it could use, and warped him. It was reborn in a cloned body, nowhere near as powerful as its true form, but enough to wipe out the last dregs of the Ancient Zoidian civilisation. Together they laid waste to the world.

"The team of zoids stopped him before he could wipe out all life, but the price was high. Many emerging towns had been destroyed, leaving few, if any, survivors. Those who did tended to be badly wounded. To save them, they were placed in life support pods, so that they could heal and one day be released. Unfortunately, several were forgotten about."

Fiona sniffled, and Van put an arm round her shoulders. Resse too looked troubled.

"To survive, the remaining Ancient Zoidians decided to start a new city, one that they would keep hidden. And so this city was first conceived.

"Shortly afterwards, mankind first set foot on Zi." Christian sighed. "I was the leader of the HERC division sent along as escorts. As reward for my efforts in the final battle against Prometheus, on Earth's moon. First contact with zoids was, difficult…" Christian smiled wryly. "But things worked out in the end.

"However, one of our colonists became the Death Saurer's new puppet, and he brought it back again. It destroyed a large section of the colony ship, and killed a sixth of our people. Nearly all the other pilots died fighting it, but my team was held back, by a bigoted governor who thought he could get the Death Saurer on his side." Christian rolled his eyes.

"Disregarding direct orders, we went in. And in spite of all the odds, we destroyed that clone. In the aftermath, the original team of zoids, which had been created to stop the Death Saurer's return, approached us. We had stopped the clone ourselves, and as such were worthy to join them.

"We became immortal, just like the zoids. And we came here, bringing all the colonists with us. When we arrived, there was no plan, no thought to the future. We planed this city…" He flung he arm wide to sweep across the city. "…To be the last refuge in case the Death Saurer ever returned.

"Over the decades people left the city to build new lives elsewhere. To each and every one of them, we made sure that they knew this place would only be safe as long as its location was secret. Over time, the city was forgotten to all but a few."

He grinned at Van Flyheight. "Then the Death returned twice in quick succession. Each time we didn't know until almost too late. The council at the time was filled with old, conservative men who had decided that as long as we remained isolated, the Death Saurer would never trouble us again. They even prevented us from leaving the first time round.

"When the Ultimate Death Saurer was released from its ages old prison, my team was at last allowed to go. But it would have been too late to stop it, had it not been for a certain two young men." Both Van and Raven grinned with pride.

"Let me guess, they gained the same benefits as you?" Bit asked.

Christian simply nodded. "And now here you are, bringing back all of the remaining players from that time. Both zoids and…" Christian hesitated. "…Three of the organoids involved."

All but Leon looked puzzled. He frowned, and began to get a sinking feeling.

"What do you mean 'three'?" Vega asked. "I know we've got two, in the Liger Zero and the Fury, but the third?"

Christian glanced at Raven, who nodded slowly. "The third died while fused to a zoids core, imparting some of its power and memories to the zoid. But it didn't evolve the zoid like what happened to the Liger Zero or Fury, where the organoids permanently fused with the zoids."

"So, which one is it?" Stoller asked.

"Leon's Blade Liger." Christian looked apologetically at Leon. "And the organoid in question… was Ambient. The Organoid companion to the Death Saurer's first puppet, Hiltz."

* * *

**Shadow: **Ambient! WHERE?

**O'Neill: **Oh oh...

**DR: **How did Ambient end up in Leon's Blade Liger... tune in next time!


	40. An Old Debt

**DR: **Nice long chapter for you all now, in compensation for the last one... Raven gets a little foul-mouthed here (well, by my standard)

**O'Neill: **It's not that long...

**DR: **It's long for one of mine alright!

**Carter: **Right...

**DR: **Carter, shouldn't you be snuggling with your Colonel right now? (Starts to wave hand, then remembers that it won't work on her, being ex-Goa'uld host)

**Carter: **(Sighs) I want to...But I can't! It's against regulations!

**DR: **(Sighs) Screw the regulations. You two are meant to be together!

* * *

Chapter 40: An Old Debt

Leon sank back into his seat, shock riding clear across his face. Sarah's face was pale and her eyes where unfocused. Unconsciously they both reached for each others hands, seeking reassurance in the others touch.

Hiltz and Ambient! Those two names were never spoken aloud, so vile had both beings been. While Hiltz had been the schemer, playing two sides against one another to distract them from his own goals, Ambient had been the bloodthirsty killer. No remorse, no pity. Together they had almost wiped out all life on Zi. Their rein of terror, brief though it was, was scared onto the minds of everyone who lived now. They were held up as the epitome of evil and selfishness.

Compared to them, Raven had been nothing more than a rogue warrior. He had levelled military bases, wiped out whole divisions of troops… but never a defenceless town or village. He had never preyed on those unable to fight back.

And to think, for the last year he had been piloting a zoid that had Ambient inside of it! Leon felt almost violently sick at the thought.

At last he was able to force out a question. "How?" His voice was quiet, weak.

"That's Raven's story." Christian answered, leaning back in his own seat. Raven threw the older man a scathing look, before picking up the tale.

"It starts the day we defeated Hiltz and the Death Saurer…"

X-X-X-X-X-X

Raven stood on the cliff edge, looking out over the sinking city of Eveopolis. Despite the terrible pain in his arm, he refused to display any kind of weakness. Shadow stood to one side, his jaw hanging over Raven's shoulder. Shadows arms hung limp; he was exhausted after the battle.

Resse stood on the other side, holding his hand. Beyond her was her organoid Specular, trying to watch both Raven and the rapidly disappearing city at once. Behind them all Ravens Geno Breaker stood, its once smooth and gleaming red hide dinged and scared. One crab claw hung limp, and the zoid was blacked by soot. It looked like Raven felt.

And what did he feel, really? For the first time in his memory Raven was not sure. All he really knew was that his arm hurt like hell, Shadows return from the grave filled his heart with joy, and the presence of Resse by his side filled him with pride.

But what was most unsettling was what was missing. His deep-seated anger and hatred of zoids and all but one organoid, was gone. At last his soul felt complete, and at peace.

Even the approach of Van in his Liger failed to ignite his rage like it used to, though there was still a lingering resentment of the man for defeating him before.

As Van and Fiona dropped to the sands, the last peak of the city disappeared. The sand continued to churn as they and Zeke stepped up to join Raven and his group. Together they all watched the sand finally still. At last Van turned to him.

"Man, what a fight!" He crowed. "Glad to see you made it out of there in one piece!"

"And why would you what that?" Raven sneered. "After all, I am going to kill you one day…"

"Raven, you've been threatening to kill Van for how long now?" A deeper, older voice cut in before Van could reply. "A year almost? And you still haven't done it?"

All seven of them, humans, ancient Zoidians and organoids spun round. Standing a short distance away was a man, dressed in navy blue pants and an off white shirt, with a long leather coat over the top. A slight smile creased his mouth. "One has to wonder if you really mean what you say…"

"I will kill him!" Raven snarled. "It's his punishment for killing me!"

The man made a show of looking him up and down. "You don't look dead to me." Was that humour is his voice?

"I was as good as dead!"

"Then why haven't you killed him back?"

Raven faltered. "I've… needed him alive to deal with older debts..."

"Raven, admit it, even if only to yourself." The man cut him off. "You have no intention to kill Van, not anymore. The destruction of the Death Saurer, the death of Ambient, has healed that old wound. You don't feel the need to kill again."

Raven scowled, but he had to admit, the man made a lot of sense. Where as in the past he always had a wellspring of hatred and anger to draw on, giving him the strength to ignore his wounds and carry on fighting, now he just felt tired. Tired and in physical pain only. The old pain, the pain from the death of his parents, had faded away.

Raven drew in breath to continue the argument anyway, just to keep his reputation, but the motion strained his bruised ribs. Instinctively his hand went to his side.

"God, Raven are you all right?" Resse was besides him in a flash. Shadow too gently growled, concerned over his masters well being.

"I'm fine… it's just…" Raven trailed off, as motion out in the sand over the city caught his eye.

"What? What is it?" Resse asked, staring into his face.

Raven couldn't answer her, so fixated on whatever was forcing its way free of the sand. Even from this distance, he could tell it was blacken by heat. But as it finally stood tall, the outline was clear, and a ray of light reflected off an un-charred section.

"You…" He whispered.

"What?" Van asked, before following Ravens line of sight. "Oh man!"

"No…" Fiona wailed as she too saw what it was. Resse couldn't say a word; her eye's growing wide in fear.

"Drat! I'd hoped he'd be dead!" The man cursed, and from the dune behind him, a deep-throated growl resounded.

Out on the sands, Ambient slowly limped away from the hole he had dug. Hearing the growl, he looked up, and saw the agents of his master's defeat. Snarling once, he weakly opened his booster packs before fleeing.

All at once Raven felt his old rage return, and all of it was focused on one thing. "Ambient!" He snarled. He turned towards his zoid, but the motion caused the broken ends of the shattered bone in his arm to rub together, and he doubled over in pain.

As his vision cleared, he noticed Resse, Fiona and the other man besides him. Resse was trying to comfort him, while Fiona and the man looked at his arm.

"Hmm, broken I'd say." He commented. "But looks like a clean break to me." Fiona finished her examination several seconds later, determining the exact same thing. She looked up, throwing the other man a curious look, to which he shrugged. "Experience."

"I'm going after him…" Raven ground out though gritted teeth.

"Not with that arm like that your not!" Resse told him sharply, and Shadow echoed her statement.

**#She's right. You're in no condition to pursue that… scum.# **That caused Raven to look at his only friend oddly. He had never known Shadow to inject so much passion into a single word.

"Listen, we'll catch him." Van said. "We'll bring him to justice."

"The only 'Justice' he deserves is death!"

"I agree." Van looked at the older man in shock. "An eye for an eye, as my people say."

"Look, just who are you?" Van asked.

"Sorry. My Name is Christian Masters. Fiona, and maybe Resse, you should know my zoid, and his mission."

"What zo…" Fiona began, but then a massive zoid head cleared the dune to settle besides Christian. Her eyes went wide with shock and awe. "Guardian Mnementh!" At that name Resse looked up from Raven, her eyes wide.

"Who?" Van asked confusion plain on his face.

X-X-X-X-X-X

"And that's how we learned about Christian and his team." Raven was secretly enjoying relating the tale to the Blitz. "He invited us into his group; as friends should we ever need them.

"I allowed myself to be treated for my injuries, while Van and the rest of his 'Guardian Force' buddies tracked Ambient down." He scowled at the memory. "That bloodthirsty monster lashed out at anyone it crossed. But the GF struggled to predict his movements." Raven looked to Resse, before looping an arm round her. The Blitz noticed that she was shaking.

"We all figured that at some point Ambient would come after us for revenge, but when he did…"

X-X-X-X-X-X

"You sure you'll be okay?"

"I'll be fine Van." Resse yelled up at him. While Raven had almost recovered in hospital, Resse had wanted to lay the last of her ghosts to rest. So she had asked Van to take her to the cave where Nicholas's Hellcat lay. While Van had asked why, she refused to answer him. The bouquet of flowers she carried had raised his eyebrows, but fortunately he had not commented.

Now she was here, where an innocent young lad, not much younger than Van had been when he had found Fiona, had released her from her pod. He had been her friend, and had tried to help her regain her memories. But when soldiers had arrived to take her, he had stood before them… and died.

Years later, when Van had turned up here wounded, he claimed to have been helped by a young lad called Nicholas, who's Hellcat lived in the cave. But when his friends arrived, the boy had gone, and the Hellcat had been dead for years.

Resse had seen them meet up, and had seen a chance to destroy them all at once. She had been piloting her modified Genosaurer at the time. But out of nowhere a Hellcat had appeared, and within the cockpit had been Nicholas…

Her shot had never landed, nor had Van or his friends even noticed her firing. The sight of what had to be the ghost of her old friend taking the hit had shocked Resse deeply, and it had been a major turning point in her life.

As she stood there outside the cave, Specular at her side, she could still recall his face as her bolt had struck the Hellcat. It had been filled with sadness, and a child like pleading…

With a heavy heart, she walked into the cave. Despite the years that had passed, it remained the same as she remembered. The only sounds where her own footsteps, the odd drip of water into pools, and the heavy clunking of Specular's metal feet.

At last they reached the stone Hellcat. She could tell just by looking at it that it was the one Nicholas had piloted. The breach into the core was still clear, and she suspected that the body of the young lad, whose heart had been filled only with honesty and compassion, remained entombed within the cockpit.

With tears running down her face, Resse slowly stepped up to the Hellcats head. Specular remained behind, knowing better than to intrude on her mistress's grief. Slowly Resse laid the flowers over the canopy, a fitting tomb for a brave young boy.

"Nicholas, I know I haven't exactly been good these last few years," she whispered gently as she knelt down. "But I hope you can forgive me for what I have done." Her tears fell off her chin with her words.

Down on the floor of the cave Specular stood quietly, following Resses wishes, despite not knowing the reason behind them, and really not caring. So what if a young human's body lay in the dead zoid, it wasn't important! What was important was what were her mistress's intentions towards a certain raven-haired young man. That man was nothing but trouble…

A slight noise drew the attention of the bored organoid. Glancing back at Resse Specular stepped into a shadowy crevice…

Resse couldn't speak for a few minutes, hoping that her confession would allow the young lad to finally rest in peace. Slowly warmth spread out from her heart, and Resse at last felt peace within her soul. A smile creased her face.

"Thank you, Nicholas."

As she slowly climbed down, Resse noted that Specular was not where she had left her. Thinking the organoid had simply wandered off Resse opened her mouth to call out.

But even as she drew in breath, a harsh shrieking sound rang out. Turning her head towards the sound, Resse was shocked to see Specular come flying out of a shadowy corner. The blue organoid crashed down at Resse's feet, and her breath left her in a scream of shock and horror.

The organoid had been sliced apart, and her throat ripped out. Zoid fluid gushed out of the wounds, and one eye had been split. One arm was missing below the elbow, and a leg almost ripped clean off.

As she dropped to her knees, trying to stem the flow of fluid from the gapping wound in Specular's neck with her hands, Resse threw a fearful look up into the shadows. What kind of monster could have done this?

She got her answer a moment later, as a darker shape emerged from the darkness, with two glowing green eyes…

Ambient stepped forwards, and Resse screamed again…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Outside the cave, Van sat on his Blade Ligers foot, Zeke curled up besides him. He had always wondered about this place, about what had happened. He was pretty sure now that he must have either been delusional, or he had seen ghosts. Neither prospect was appealing…

"Van! Come quickly!" He jerked up at the voice. Looking towards the cave, he was startled to see the same young lad as he had seen all that time ago. Zeke too snapped up, staring at the boy.

"Van, you must hurry!" The lad raced into the cave.

"Hey, wait!" Van charged after the boy, Zeke hot on his tail.

No matter how hard he ran Van just couldn't catch the smaller lad up. Stumbling, he pushed himself up… and the boy was gone. Zeke growled with astonishment.

"What the…" Van's comment died in his throat as he heard Resse scream.

"Come on Zeke!" He cried as they both charged forward, deeper into the cave.

Rounding the last bend, Van slowed down in shock. There before him was Specular, surrounded by a pool of fluid, unmoving. Resse was pinned down against some rocks, her blood glistening in the light of the torch she had brought. And standing over her… was Ambient.

Zeke snarled, and Ambient turned to face them both. As they got closer, Van could see that Ambient was scarred by his near-death experience. One leg was partly withered, and the right side of his head was misshapen. Some of the panels that made up his body did not appear to fit right, and the whole pose was of one whose spine is not quite straight.

Snarling back, Ambient kicked out with his withered leg. The claws on the foot tore into Resse, who screamed again before fainting. Just as Zeke charged in, Ambient ignited his boosters and tore off over his head. Van dived for the cave floor as he drew his pistol. Just in time: Ambient had let his feet hang down, clearly meaning to take Van's head off. Spinning around, Van fired several rounds at Ambient as the organoid touched down. Most struck and Ambient howled in pain before blasting off again, heading out of the cave.

"Zeke! Go after him. Don't let him get control of the Liger!" Zeke roared in agreement before blasting off himself. Van quickly holstered his pistol before running over to check on Resse and Specular…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Raven stood there, staring into the intensive care room. Resse lay on the bed; IV's feeding into her arms. Beneath her surgical gown she was wrapped up bandages, and her eyes were closed. Monitors surrounding her traced her breathing, heart rate and a dozen other things about her.

Van stood besides him, his face clouded with regret. "I'm sorry man, but she insisted that she should go in alone…"

"I want him."

Van looked at Raven in confusion. "Huh?"

"I want Ambient." Raven stated coldly. Van found himself taking a couple of involuntary steps back. Raven hadn't used that tone of voice for several months now. "When you find out where he's heading, tell me."

"Raven, if we knew, we'd…"

Raven swung round, his eye's filled with hate. "You'd better get out of my way when I come for him! I will not take prisoners!" Van knew that he meant every word he said.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Raven sat there, waiting. For several weeks, the Guardian Force had combed the planet looking for Ambient. The damned organoid refused to show, only his trail of carnage. It was as if he intended to finish what he had started with the Death Saurer. If it meant he had to kill every human with his own teeth and claws, then so be it.

The only bright thing in these past few weeks was Resse's slow recovery. Christian had taken her to his city, where she would be safe from Ambient. The death of her organoid badly affected her, but she was reported to be slowly improving. Raven had visited several times, and each time she had looked a little better. In his last visit, she had confided to him about why she had been in that cave.

"I had to ask forgiveness, to a young lad who tried to protect me. I think, at long last, he can rest in peace." Raven couldn't figure that out, so he went to Van, despite his misgivings.

Surprisingly, Van had been able to help enlighten him.

And then at last there was a breakthrough. Ambient it seemed could only go short distances under his own power. He had struck at a village on the edge of the central plains of Europa, and there was only one other village close enough for him to reach.

So now Raven sat, waiting. He had hidden the Geno Breaker behind a rocky outcrop, and dragged some borrowed camouflage sheeting over the top. Shadow was watching for any sigh of the Red Menace, as he had become known.

Shadow had undergone a startling change when he had heard about the death of Specular. His eye's seemed narrower than ever, and he was always in a bad mood. When pressed, he had snapped **#No Organoid takes another's life! And certainly not like that, without a fair fight!# **Raven also suspected that the two of them had been getting along rather well.

So now both of them had a reason to want Ambient dead. Ideally Raven stroked the old large calibre pistol he had borrowed…

Shadows growl from the rocks sent him into action. Quickly throwing the switch, Raven rode the pilot seat up into the Geno Breakers chest. Once there, he activated the targeting system and aimed high. He could track the rogue organoid himself now, moving far slower than an organoid should. Clearly he was still lame. Smirking to himself, Raven fired.

Hitting such a small target at such a height was almost impossible, but Raven managed to wing Ambient. The red organoid plummeted into the sandy ground a short distance ahead. Smiling, Raven piloted his zoid towards him.

"Shadow, stay out of it for now…" Shadow growled in understanding. Raven had the bigger claim on Ambient's head.

Ambient looked up to see the red Geno Breaker stalking towards him. Cursing, he looked around for anything he could use. The shifting sands revealed the rump of a long dead zoid, and Ambient took his chance. As he settled into the zoid and began to resurrect it, he realised what it was.

…_**An experienced Shield Liger! How ironic!**_

Raven watched with narrowed eyes as Ambient vanished into a half buried dead zoid. But he quickly became alarmed when the sand was flung away, to reveal a fully alive, blood red Blade Liger glaring back.

'_Well, looks like I will be fighting Van one last time after all, after a fashion…'_

With a roar, the Liger charged forward, and Raven eagerly accepted the challenge. Both arterial red coloured zoids slammed together in a grinding of metal. Raven lashed out with the side-mounted claws, but Ambient danced away. The organoid had fought Van and Zeke before, so knew about the various moves that the Blade Liger could do. Also, Ambient was a rare organoid in that he could bring any zoid to its full combat potential. Even with Raven's vastly superior experience in fighting against a Blade Liger and more powerful zoid, it was going to be tough match.

On a near by dune Christian stood, watching the battle. Besides him stood Van and the heavily pregnant Fiona, along with Zeke, Irvine, Moonbay and their zoids. Moonbay's Gustav was parked just behind the dune.

"Well, are we going to help him?" Moonbay asked.

"I'd doubt he'd accept any help right now." Christian stated calmly. Above him his zoid nodded its great head. "This is his battle, not ours."

"I never thought I'd say this, but I hope Raven wins…" Van quietly said. Fiona gently took his hand in hers.

Out on the dunes, Raven sweated within his zoid. So far neither of them had managed to land any real damage on the other. Ambient had knocked out one of his hover jets, preventing him from gaining a height and mobility advantage. But one of Ravens earlier swings had torn the upper shield unit apart, disabling the Liger's strongest defence. The two zoids circled each other, sizing the other up. Shadow remained off to one side, staying out of harms way, but close enough to swoop in if Raven needed him.

Ambient dived right, and Raven swung his zoid in the other direction. Ambient began to double back, but before he could fire, the Geno Breakers heavy tail slammed into the side of the liger, sending it flying. It crashed down on to the dunes hard and lay on its side, winded.

Raven smirked as he brought his side claw down to grip the liger firmly. He raised it up into the air, letting the limbs dangle. But before he could celebrate, Ambient flashed out of the Liger. He barely stood on the ground before leaping again, but this time fusing with the Geno Breaker!

Watching this sudden turn of events, Christian whistled softly. "Well, this is going to be interesting!" To his side Fiona moaned in worry, promoting Van to put his arm round her.

"What if Ambient takes control of the Breaker?" Irvine asked out of concern.

"Unlikely. The Breaker is so powerful that most organoids can only fuse with it for a short time. Shadow has much greater stamina than normal, so he can hold on for three times the duration that any other organoid could. As for Ambient…" Christian shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I'd reckon he's only going to last about a minute and a half. Of course, Ravens got to survive that long…"

Raven suddenly found him-self having to fight the controls of his zoid. _'Why that cheating little…' _He thought as he struggled to prevent being ejected from the cockpit. On the main display was the same grid-like pattern he got when Shadow fused with the Breaker, only the bars were red and were disappearing faster. Somewhere in his head a small part of Raven's brain remained analytical. _'Ambient can only remained fused to the Breaker for so long! If I can just hang on…'_

The Geno Breaker thrashed about, fighting to dislodge the stubborn man within. Every now and again the guns would fire at random sending lethal bolts of destruction out. When a brace of bolts tore towards the watchers, Fiona gasped and Van prepared to drag her down, despite the risk it would be to their child. But he didn't have to bother. Christian's zoid simply extended a wing rapidly over them all as a shield, and took the hits himself. The laser blasts struck the angled wing plates and were reflected up into space.

"Ni… Nice move." Van stuttered as the great zoid brought its wing back in.

Inside the Breaker, Raven was hanging on for dear life. On the screen, the bars were disappearing faster. Raven was fighting Ambient mind to mind now, and it was tiring for the already injured organoid.

At last the final bar faded, and the zoid ceased to struggle. In his displays, Raven watched as Ambient crashed down before his zoid. Although it was tempting to simply step on the troublesome organoid and grind him to dust, the battle of wills had fried half of the systems in the Breaker. Besides, revenge demanded to be face to face.

Raven quickly exited the zoid, dragging out his heavy pistol. Even before he set foot on the ground, he saw Ambient begin to stagger up.

"Oh no you don't…" and he opened fire.

Each bullet slammed into the weak organoid, knocking it back a few paces. The weakened and damaged armour wasn't up to job of withstanding such heavy rounds at such close range, and each bullet bit deep.

As he continued to unload into the rogue, Raven felt tears run down his face, and he started yelling, screaming at Ambient. "This is for my parents! This is for Shadow! For Specular! For Resse! This is for all the people you've killed, you murdering bastard!"

When he ran out of rounds, Raven ran towards Ambient and began to club the organoid with the heavy pistol. Ambient tried to fight back, but weakened by the fight, and wounded with many gunshot wounds, he was barely able to do so. One weak kick pushed Raven back and knocked the pistol out of his hand, but Raven was not to be out done. He pulled his holdout backup weapon from its holster at the small of his back. It was a lightweight pistol, not really that powerful at all, and held only six rounds. But Raven was beyond caring. He fired into the tears in Ambients armour, but before he fired the last round, he charged forwards and jammed the barrel against the organoids eye.

"This is for me, my life."

The round smashed apart the organoids eye, and torn around inside the head. Ambient slumped down, seemingly dead.

Raven slowly got his breathing under control, and began to acknowledge all the pain his body was in. That contest of wills had truly battered him around. As he walked back to the Breaker, Shadow joined him.

**#Is it over?#**

Raven started to reply, but the sound of scraping metal made him spin round. Ambient was slowly getting to his feet again! Zoid fluid leaked from the tears in his armour and from the ruins of his eye, but he slowly staggered upright.

Shadow stepped forward, but before he could attack, Ambient made one final leap. With a weak, gurgled growl, he fused with the Blade Liger. Slowly it stood upright, wavering on its feet.

Raven slumped to his knees. He simply couldn't take any more. It seemed Ambient could never be killed…

The Blade Liger tottered forward, acting as if it was drunk. Raven recognised the signs. Ambient was probably dieing, but he intended to take Raven with him.

'_Why not? He's the one most responsible for my life, it's fitting we should go to hell together…'_

Shadow stood by Raven, urging him to get up.

**#Come on! Get up!#**

"No Shadow, it's my time…"

The Liger took another faltering step. _'Just a couple more…'_

Suddenly the Liger stiffened before it fell forwards, thudding into the ground. Sand billowed up and coated Raven. As it settled, the nose of the Liger was barely a foot from Ravens knees.

Raven slowly leaned forward, resting his hand on the Liger. He only noticed when the others came up when their shadows fell across him. He offered no resistance as they rolled him over.

"Is it over?" He asked weakly. As one they all turned to Christian, who stood slightly aside, his face locked in a far away look. His huge zoid was standing over the Blade Liger, nosing at it.

After a moment, Christians face returned to normal. "Yes, it's over. Ambient is dead."

Van looked over at the Liger. "What about the zoid?"

"It will sleep for a time, and then awaken. It may have access to some of Ambients memories, but it will be itself." Christian stepped forwards. "Leave it. Now, let's get this warrior some place more comfortable hmm?"

Raven slowly allowed himself to lie back, letting his mind wander to Resse and the great city where she now rested and recovered…

* * *

**DR: **Well, that's all for now.

**Specular: **You killed me!

**DR: **Yep. I never really like you anyway... Too creepy.

**Ambient: **YA! He dislikes you more than me! (starts dancing in joy)

**DR: **Actually, I loathed you Ambient.

**Ambient: **(Freezes in shock mid dance, causing him to fall flat on his face)

**Shadow: **Idiot.

**Carter: **You said it.

**DR: **Till next time...


	41. The Greatest of Them All

**DR: **And now, we finally meet the great one himself... Oh, and just so you know, I tried to write 'him' (you'll know who I mean) to be like all those old and wise men that appear in many a story... Sort of a fusion between Kosh, Yoda and a few others...XD

* * *

Chapter 41: The Greatest of Them All

The Blitz Team slowly came back to reality. Raven's tale of pain and revenge touched them all. They had all been swept up in the emotions that flowed out. Christian and Van had supplied their own viewpoints to the events, but the tale was Ravens.

Bit could easily relate to Raven's state of mind. When he had thought Leena was gone, he had been ready to tear the world apart if that was what it took to find her killers. Sarah could also relate to time it took for Resse to recover, after her misfortunes in life.

As he shifted in his seat to get comfortable, Leon noticed that Christian had a far-away look in his eyes. He stared at the table, but he didn't seem to see it, his eye's half closed…

"So, when do you think Leena can be released?" Bit asked Christian, not noting his look.

"What?" He murmured, almost to himself. Bit looked at him oddly.

"I said…"

"Stop there." Susan said, sitting up and raising her hand. "He's talking to his zoid."

Bit's eyebrows shot upwards so fast they might have had rocket boosters attached. "How?" Brad asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Chris's zoid is, technically, the second oldest zoid on Zi. He has undergone several evolutions in that time." Fiona supplied.

Susan nodded. "His zoid is also telepathic. He and Chris have a mental connection that allows them to communicate over great distances."

Christian seemed to sag in his seat. "Damn, not again… all right, I'll alert the crews…" He blinked several times, before refocusing on the others.

"Sorry about that. Mnementh intercepted another distress call. But he didn't get there in time to save the pilot. The zoid is fatally wounded, and he's bringing it back here." Christian seemed troubled by something, and stood up in a distracted fashion.

"There's something else isn't there?" Steve asked gently.

Christian nodded slowly. "Yea. The zoid in question… it's a Dibison with a… unique history…" He was reluctant to go on.

"Well, spit it out!" Stroller demanded.

"Well, this Dibison…" Christian looked at Steve sadly. "…Is the one Leena used to pilot."

The shock that ran across the old Blitz was clear. Brad almost dropped his coffee into his lap, while his jaw did just that. Bit's eyes went round as he thought back to the last time he had seen that old zoid.

Jamie blinked a couple of times, his jaw hanging. And Steve… could only think back to when he had first got the zoid, as a gift for Sandra. She had always liked the solid build of such a zoid. When she died, it had passed onto Leena, since Leon already had his eye on his dad's Shield Liger.

The day Leena had sold the Dibison was a troubled memory for Steve. On the one hand it had been a family heirloom, a reminder of his late wife. But Leena had bought a custom Gunsniper with the money, which almost any zoid collector could be proud of…

"Just a minute here." Pierce asked, confusion written plain across her face. "Your zoid is a flyer right?"

Christian nodded.

"Then how can it bring a Dibison here, alone?" She asked. "You'd need a cargo Hammerhead at the least to be able to airlift a zoid of the weight that a Dibison is."

Christian smiled another one of his crafty little smiles. "Really?"

"That's right…" Stroller jumped in. "And you never explained how you were able to defeat those, Cy-brids…" He struggled with the unusual name. "…In the first place."

"I think it would be best to show you all." Christian's eyes went unfocused again. "Mnementh, would you mind landing out front, after depositing the bison?" He muttered under his breath. "Some of the Blitz team are questioning your power…"

Distantly, but growing ever more powerful, he heard the zoids reply.

…**_Really? Well, we can't have that now can we? _**The zoids mental voice was amused.

"No we can't…" Christian pulled his mind back before facing the Blitz. "He'll be landing soon. If you would care to follow me?"

As everyone got up, the organoid stretched. "**I'm afraid I must return to my duties, as tempting as it is to converse with my old mentor…"**

Christian smiled. "I'll tell him you said hello."

X-X-X-X-X-X

As Leena allowed Samantha to wheel her across the plateau, she couldn't help but gaze around in wonder. When she had arrived she had been barely conscious, for too gone to notice where she was or who was around her. But now that she was on the road to health again, she began to take note of things again. The two of them had talked for almost an hour, Samantha filling Leena in the brief version of her family's history.

Seeing Bit and the rest of the Blitz had helped her recover, but Leena was still unsure about herself and her life. She gripped the shard of metal – now almost completely stone – without thinking about it. Ever since she had arrived, no one had talked about her zoid to her. What had happened to her Gunsniper?

What kind of zoid pilot was she without a zoid? Not that she was ever any good as one. A good pilot would have been able to escape that attack…

As they approached the hanger, Leena noticed that the Blitz Team Hover Cargo was parked next to it, and around the base of the huge transport the rest of the team stood, along with another half dozen people. As they got closer, Leena was able to distinguish the one man who had saved her. He had visited often during that first day, worry in his age-old eyes…

"Ah, just in time." He called out. Leena noticed his eyes dropped to her side, and tightened slightly. She gripped the shard again out of reflex.

"So this is the famous Leena Toros." A brown hair man said. His hair was swept back in a series of spikes, streaked with grey. His face was lined, but there was something familiar about it…

As Bit stepped towards her, she realised what was so familiar. The other man – who she could have sworn she knew of – was very similar to Bit in both build and hair style. A woman standing besides him had compassion filling her crimson eyes, and her silvery-blond hair shimmered in the sunlight…

"Leena!" Bit's face was filled with relief, and she couldn't help but smile at the tone of his voice. He dropped down to one knee to hug her gently. "How you feeling?"

"Better, I think…" She replied, not truly sure herself.

As they parted, Bit noticed the necklace just protruding from underneath her gown. With one finger he gently lifted it clear, his breath whistling in when he saw the full extent of the craftsmanship. "Now where did you get that? Suits you…" Leena blushed as she looked up at Samantha.

"It's… a family heirloom, that should have passed down from my grandmother to my mother, and then to me…" Others in the team had gathered round, and she saw her father nodding.

"Yes, I remember seeing that around Sandra's mother's neck on our wedding day…" His eye's drifted back to that day…

"Listen, you would not believe the tales we've been hearing today!" Bit told her excitedly. "Nor who we've been talking to for the whole morning!"

"After what I was told myself," Leena smirked. "I somehow doubt that."

"Well, try this. Those four people…" Bit waved to the foursome who Leena was sure she knew from somewhere. "Are in fact Van Flyheight, his wife Fiona, along with Raven and Resse! Not only that, but some of us are related to them!"

Leena stared at the heroes and villains of the past, but then recalled whom she had been talking too. "Well, I've been talking to my mother, several generations removed…"

Bit turned his head to stare at Samantha. "Guilty." She said quickly, putting her hands up in mock surrender. The motion revealed the necklace round her neck, just like Leena's.

"Man, we seem to be well connected! I mean, I'm apparently descended from Van and Fiona, while Vega and Sarah are direct descendents of Raven and Resse."

"But that's not all." Christian stepped in. "Those heritages show up again. Jamie's a distant relative of Van, while Pierce is descended from Raven like Vega." He smiled at their stunned looks, mainly Pierce's. "The hair gives it away. Resse is the only source of that particular gene." Resse blushed in embarrassment.

Leon opened his mouth to say something, but he held his tongue as a blue blur rocketed into the air from behind the mountainside that housed the hanger. A deafening roar filled the air.

"Ah, I see the star attraction has arrived." Christian smugly smiled.

The whole Blitz Team watched as the blue form rocketed around the plateau too rapidly to make out any details, before swooping out over the plains beyond the city. With another roar, the zoid made a sharp turn and headed straight back towards them. It came in like a missile, before back winging just as it reached the battlements to land gracefully on the plateau before them all.

"Members of the Blitz Team, I give you my zoid partner, Mnementh."

One and all the entire Blitz Team was open mouthed in pure awe. The zoid standing before them was colossal, almost as large as the Hover Cargo. It stood on four powerful legs, arranged in the standard style of the forelegs being slightly slimmer than the hind legs, which were tightly coiled with a raised ankle joint. A long neck arched up from the shoulders to its great long head, while a tail almost as long as the rest of the body was curved out behind it. The massive teeth lining its long jaws were each as big as a man, while a row of spikes ran down from the back of the head down it's spine to the tail, ending in a great blade. The teeth, spines and the claws on the feet were all a rich gleaming gold. The rest of the zoid was mainly a rich royal blue. It was almost entirely coated in form fitted, smooth metal plates, just like the skin of an organoid. The digits on all four feet – three on the forepaws, four on the rear ones – were all fully articulated, giving the zoid great dexterity. Leon could also just about make out signs that the inside digit of the forepaws could swing right round and become an opposable thumb. Those few parts not covered and the gaps between each smooth curved plate were black with a bronze tint. A jet black 'V' started at the tip of the zoids snout, running over each eyebrow and the brightly burning blue eyes, before somehow leaping off the back of the zoids 'skull' to form two long thin head-tails. Bit was reminded of the magnetic head-tails that Leena tended to wear. Each tail was not rigid, but shifted and waved both in the gentle breeze and the zoids movements.

But most impressive of all was the great wings that were mounted on its back. From two slim but very powerful looking boosters on the zoids back, the wings appeared to be tightly compressed plates, with a thin folded arm on the leading edge.

"Mnementh, would you mind extending your wings please?" Christian asked, and in reply the zoid did so. In a fluid motion the arms unfurled, and the plates spread out like a fanned pack of cards. The first third of the arms carried a rack of large missiles slung underneath, while a row of missile tubes lined the leading edge. Beyond them was a bugle in the arm, were the last part of the leading arm and three smaller, thin spars that were spread throughout the wing were pivoted. Another gold claw protruded from the 'wrist' as a thumb, and slung underneath was a twin weapon pod. Each barrel was a squat cylinder, with six hemispherical depressions in a ring on the end. The total wingspan was as great as the zoid was long. Truly this zoid was a monster amongst zoids.

The massive head shifted, and each member of the Blitz in turn found him or herself staring into those bright eyes, gazing down along the sharp snout over that black 'V'. While there were no features to the eyes, it seemed like there were, so intently did the zoid look at them. And on each of them it had a profound effect.

Sarah was the first, and a peace fell over her that she had never known before, and a deep wisdom filled voice gently filled her head. **_…All wounds heal in time. Despite your troubled road, you have prospered. It is long past time for you to live for yourself. Return to your instincts, and find happiness again… _**Sarah felt tears prick at her eyes, while a great weight was lifted from her shoulders.

Vega stared back into those glowing eyes. **_…You have the most to live for little one, and have already overcome great hardship. Now it is time to grow, to expand… _**Vega felt empowered by the old zoids words. He felt like he could move mountains with his bare hands!

The huge zoid shifted to look into Brad's eyes. **_…One must always listen to one's heart, for otherwise we are not true to ourselves. Do the right thing, or live in shame forever, knowing you not only betrayed her, but also yourself… _**Despite it not saying any names, Brad knew exactly whom the zoid had been referring to. In his heart a conflict he had been silently wrestling with ever since he had learned of Naomi's pregnancy was put it rest.

Steve found that gaze fixed on him next. **_…She would be proud of what you have achieved since she left. Now you have to focus on the future, not the past…_**

Naomi found herself captivated by that almost fatherly gaze. **_…You have always been in control. But life needs chaos to grow. Do not fear for your daughter's future, for it will be long and fruitful…_** She was stunned to hear such words. She was carrying a daughter! Naomi felt freer than ever before.

Leon was next. **_…We spend our whole lives defining who we are, and proving that. Your time to find yourself is over. Now live knowing you are a man who people look up to. Do not fear your zoid, for while Blade has some of the memories of Ambient, he is not that one…_** Leon breathed easily for the first time since he had learned the root cause of his zoids quirks.

To Pierce, the huge zoid was no longer menacing, but an angel given form. **_…No longer must you hold yourself, your name, in contempt. We must in time forgive all trespasses. Now, forge your name anew… _**Pierce felt the guilt she had carried around about her stepfather fade away. She was able at last to stand tall.

Jamie tried to look away, but that stare held him captive. **_…The worst thing that can happen to someone is to not know who he or she is. Know now that you are Jamie Hemeros, son to Oscar Hemeros and the next generation 'Wild Eagle'… _**Jamie felt something in his head shift, and suddenly he felt the strength of character to stand up straight and meet that zoid eye to eye.

Stoller found that look slightly unnerving, as it seemed to strip away his soul. **_…The problem with a suspicious mind is that you can never accept anything at face value, even when people help you out of compassion alone. If one does not trust, then one will always fall…_**

When Bit found himself under that gaze, it was almost a shock. **_…You have much courage and latent wisdom. You have proved your heritage time and again. Now prove how much you love her. Stay with her through her darkest hour…_**

The zoid finally dropped its gaze to look into Leena's eyes. For a second there was nothing, and then the zoid began to speak. **_…Your life has been filled with ups and downs. You have endured much, and are no longer true to your nature. The death of your mother robbed you of an important balancing point. It is time to let go, and find your true self. You are far more skilled and intelligent than you believe. It is easy to find reasons to die for. The question you need to ask yourself is 'Is there anything worth living for?' If you answer that question honestly, you may be surprised at what you find… _**Tears trickled down Leena's cheeks at the tone in the zoids 'voice'. Clearly it… he believed what he was saying, and thought she had a future…

The dragon zoid drew back, rose onto its hind legs and spread its wings wide. Throwing back its head, the zoid roared again, a roar that seemed to come from deep within that royal blue body, and was filled with power. It echoed around the plateau, filling the air in a way that neither the Fury nor the Liger Zero could ever do.

As the great zoid settled down again, Bit faintly heard the sound of great metallic feet lopping towards them. The Liger burst out of the hanger, the Fury just behind it. **#Old friend!# **It roared in joy. The Fury echoed the Liger.

The huge dragon turned its head to look at the Liger. **#At long last we meet again# **It roared back, stepping towards the smaller zoids as they came closer.

**#Where have you been?#** The Fury bellowed.

**#Been cruising around, listening for those Cy…#** The Dragon suddenly paused, its head turning sharply to the right. Its entire pose tensed up. Something was wrong.

Christian was the first to react. "What is it Mnementh?"

The zoid didn't reply direct, but bellowed out over the city. It stepped to the very edge of the battlements, and stared downwards. Below the sounds of running zoids could be heard. Christian pulled a comm headset from his pocket and slipped it on.

"What on Zi is going on?" Stoller asked sternly. The sounds of nets being fired could be heard now, and the clash of metals. Christian listened intently, before speaking a few words into the mike. He quickly replaced the headset, a troubled look on his face.

"What is it?" Steve asked, worry coiling around his gut.

"We have an intruder." Christian sighed. "A Cybrid. Mnementh recognised the energy output. The city guard have caught the machine and are bringing it up here."

As one every being there, be they Human, Ancient Zoidian or Zoid, turned to look at the entry ramp. The clunk of lightweight zoid footfalls heralded the arrival of a Rev Raptor. It was quite different from the norm for the class. Jet black with brightly polished gold trim, the eyes glowing a gentle blue. Instead of the huge scythe blades on its back the raptor mounted two medium sized guns, while the weapons on each forearm were mismatched. The inside toe of both feet was larger than normal and a lot sharper looking.

Held within the fore claws was a spindly thing wrapped in netting. It seemed to be a mass of legs, some of which were clearly damaged. But from within the centre a blue-tinged red eye stared out, the mark of a Cybrid. The team felt shivers run up their spines.

The City Guard Rev Raptor set the machine down before Christian. Now it was closer it was easier to make out the details. The machine was based on a spider, with a central body and eight long legs. The body was not much larger than a human's torso, but the legs made it much larger. Trapped in the metal netting it was not going anywhere, but that eye continued to blaze out.

Christian took a long look at the machine. "Susan, tell our techs to get ready. I want a full examination of this thing."

"_Don't bother…" _A voice emerged from the machine, filled with malice and cruel laughter.

The effect that voice had on Van, Raven and their wives was extreme. Van's eyes snapped open as his jaw dropped, and Fiona looked like she was about to faint. Raven's eyes contracted to slits, and Resse stepped behind him, her eye's filled with terror. Both the Liger Zero and the Fury bellowed in shock and rage.

Laughter emerged from the Cybrid as its upper body unfolded to reveal a holo-projector. With a crackle it powered up, and an image formed. The man shown was slightly taller than Raven, with flaming red hair that was turning grey. His suit was dark, and his face was pale. But the most horrific thing about him was the scaring. There were deep slashes in his neck, right cheek and forehead, but instead of raw flesh underneath the skin, there were the hexangular panels of a zoid core. He had a hump just behind his right shoulder, and the left leg seemed thicker than it should. Both arms were folded across his chest, and the back of the left hand was covered in core scales. The nails of his exposed right hand were also formed of those scales.

But despite the scars, there was no mistaking that face, with a look of pure contempt and evil in his eyes. A cruel smile was plastered across his mouth.

"Hiltz…" Raven breathed, pure hatred in his voice.

* * *

**Shadow: **Oh no...

**Zeke: **Oh my...

**O'neill: **Damn...

**Carter: **Holy Hannah!

**DR: **You guys said it. Just what is Hiltz going to say to our heroes? What was the cost of netting that Cybrid? Plus Christian gets an, idea (evil grin)...


	42. An Ancient Foe & Hope

**DR: **Okay, I have to revise what I said before. I rearranged some of the text in the next couple of chapters (to get them all similar lengths), and I've ended up with another chapter in there. So now we have 61 chapters in this story...

**O'Neill: **So, how do things pan out?

**DR: **Well, we've got some sweet romantic moments coming in chapter 45...

**Carter: **Ahh...

**DR: **Leena's new zoid shows up in 49, and the 'Final Battle' covers 52-59. I have to admit, I'm surprised at how long this part of the story took! Certain things have to happen, and the words just kept pouring forth! Anyway, onwards...

**Zeke:** I've got popcorn!

* * *

Chapter 42: An Ancient Foe

Hiltz's image laughed at the look on Raven's face. _"Surprised to see me?"_

"You should be dead!" Van cried, wrapping an arm round Fiona out of reflex. Her eyes were fixed on Hiltz, and she trembled.

All humour left Hiltz's face. _"I so nearly was. And all thanks to you Van."_ He glared at Raven _"And you, traitor."_

"You're the traitor Hiltz!" Christian stepped in, glaring daggers at Hiltz. "A traitor to your own kind."

Hiltz's eyes narrowed. _"I don't know you…"_

"**_But I do."_** Although the second voice was electronic and flat, anger could be sensed just beneath the surface. **_"Christian Masters, born on Earth in the year twenty eighty, in the region that was known to humans as England. Leader of the HERC team that was dispatched to Earth's moon, slayer of Prometheus."_**

Christian's eyes narrowed. "You've done your homework I see, you overgrown toaster." He injected a lot of emotion and loathing into that simple statement. Bit was amazed that this man, who seemed so carefree and laid back, could summon such hatred.

"_It doesn't matter who you are."_ Hiltz stepped in before Helios could snap back. _"You will still fall against our legions."_

"Bring them on!" Raven snarled. His face was set the way it had always been depicted in history books, harsh and unforgiving.

"Yea! We beat you before remember? And back then you had the Death Saurer itself!" Van echoed Raven.

Hiltz tipped his head back and laughed manically, giving everyone a good look at his scared neck. Bit realised that this 'Hiltz' was completely insane.

"_You have no idea do you? Helios has entire factories building new Cybrids continuously now. Soon we will have an army the size of which Zi has never seen!"_

"You won't get away with this!" Resse snapped. Her words were strong but fear was clear beneath them.

"_Ah, the turncoat speaks." _Hiltz sneered. _"I think I should tell you, I intend to ask that both you and Fiona are left alive." _His grin turned positively lecherous. _"After all, once the planet has been wiped clean of the scum of humanity, it will need repopulating. I'll enjoy hearing you scream…"_

The Liger bellowed in outrage, snapping it jaws though the hologram. Hiltz didn't react at all.

"You'll never have me!" Fiona snarled. "I'll die with Van!"

Hiltz just smiled cruelly.

"Wait, you're the one who sent that bomb!" Leon cried. When he meet Hiltz's gaze, Leon felt his courage shrink and wither.

"_Yes… I was hoping to get rid of the last remains of my last defeat. It would have been glorious, a clear warning to all those who would appose me…"_ His face twisted into a black look. _"But you went and spoiled it!_

"_And now, I find that you four…" _His gaze shifted back to Van and his friends. _"…Are STILL alive! I expected Fiona, and maybe Resse, but you two?" _Hiltz shrugged. _"No matter, since I now know where to strike first…"_

A cold tingle of dread ran up every ones spine.

"_You may have stopped this Cybrid, but it was able to pass on your location. Soon we three will come for you all, and none of you will survive!" _Hiltz began to laugh, manically. His hologram shut off, but his insane laughter continued to be emitted from the speakers. The sound almost hid a rising whine from the Cybrid…

"Everyone get back!" Christian cried suddenly, a look of alarm on his face. They all stepped back quickly just in time, as the Cybrid began to glow.

Suddenly it blew in a blinding glare, a tiny mushroom shaped cloud shooting upwards. Once the glare died down, the team were able to look at what remained. There was nothing but a charred crater where the metal spider had laid.

"I think we'd better get ready for a siege."

Bit nodded along with everyone else at Christian's comment, playing Hiltz's last comment over in his head. _'What did he mean by "we three"?'_

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Oh my god…"

"What kind of a monster would do that…?"

"That's horrible…"

"I thought I'd seen the last of this all those years ago…"

Christian grimaced. Mnementh had not been kidding about the condition of the Dibison. He had already seen the state of the Gunsniper, but this was the first time that the Blitz had seen the zoid. "I just wish there was more we could do…" He shrugged helplessly.

Both zoids were suspended in diluted solutions of zoid pool fluid. Neither zoid was expected to survive; the slow creep of death was clear on them. The life giving fluid eased their pain, but the damage was too great to allow them to recover.

Vega's face was a mask of horror. He had thought that seeing the state that the Fury had been in after the attack on the Blitz had been bad. This was much worse.

Both zoids had been carved apart, whole sections of their bodies gone. The Gunsnipers leg ended in a splintered stub, wires and spars poking out like broken bones. The gapping hole in the head showed just how close Leena had come to death. The Dibison was even worse off, with most of its cannons destroyed, and a crater where the cockpit should have been.

But the worst thing was that both zoids had damaged cores. The Core was the heart of a zoid. Damage there was a fatal as damage to a human heart.

"Bit turned to face the older man. "Is there no hope?"

"None." Christian sighed, and in that moment he looked his age. "Even without the core damage, it would be touch and go even with a zoid pool."

Steve slowly raised a hand to rest against the tank holding the Dibison. "How long?"

Above him the huge zoid Mnementh rumbled something. Even his growl sounded downcast.

"Two, three days tops." Christian translated. He took a deep breath before pushing on.

"Listen, I doubt it would be safe for you to return home now. If Hiltz really is after you and your zoids, then the safest place for you all would be here."

"And maybe help out when the attack comes?" Bit asked, a wry grin on his face.

Christian smiled without humour. "I intend to call in all the favours I have to get us some extra help here, so anything you could do would be appreciated."

Sarah answered for them all, her voice filled with all the iciness it had during her heyday with the Backdraft. "They tried to kill us. I think we should return the favour."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Some time later Leena slowly wheeled herself down the corridor of the hospital where she had been staying. She had yet to say 'thank you' to Christian for saving her. After the… meeting with his zoid, Leena wasn't sure about anything anymore. Certainly she was going to need to do some heavy thinking…

And now, it seemed her fault that these 'Cybrids' now knew about this city. Worse, Hiltz, the most evil man in Zi's history, was leading them! Even just thinking about his scared face and insane laughter sent shivers down her spine.

She turned a corner, to see her target standing with one of the doctors. A couple of men sat in chairs nearby, dressed in black and gold uniforms. All were bandaged up and looked weary. Clearly that Cybrid had put up a fight.

As she got closer, Christian thanked the doctor, before turning to face a door they had been standing in front of. She watched as he took a deep breath. From her angle she couldn't get a good look at his face, but clearly the news was grave.

Slowly he stepped into the room. "Hi." She heard him say.

A weak growl drifted out, followed by a single word. **"Hi"** The voice ever so slightly sounded female.

"How you feeling?"

"**Not so good…" **The words almost smothered the weak growls.

Confused, Leena wheeled herself into the room. What she saw took her breath away. While the others had told her about meeting an actual organoid, she hadn't believed them. But stretched out on the bed before her was an organoid.

Along it's smoothly curved sky blue flanks harsh cracks stood out like ink. The orange eyes were dim, and the right leg was badly mauled. A deep puncture mark on the neck seemed the worse however. Pale zoid fluid leaked out slowly.

Christian sat in a chair by the organoids head. He looked up as she entered. "Did you want something Miss Toros?" He asked none too gently, but then considering the emotions on his face…

"I ah, I realised I never got a chance to thank you, for saving me…" She trailed off, unable to draw her eyes away from the wounded organoid. "What happened?"

Christian sighed. "Iycan here was part of the City Guard team that apprehended the Cybrid infiltrator, along with the men outside." Leena barely noticed that they had stepped though behind her. "She was the one who finally stopped it long enough for the Rev Raptor to net it…" He stopped there. It was clear what he was leaving unsaid.

"**Chris, the doctors won't tell me the truth about my condition…" **Leena noticed the gem on the chain that was looped round the organoids neck pulse with each syllable. **"You're my mentors' pilot, and my superior. But…" **The organoid paused and shook slightly, and Leena got the sudden feeling that had it been human it would have been raked with coughs. **"You're also my friend. I ask you, as a friend, tell me the truth." **Another short pause, though without the shaking this time. **"I'm not going to make it, am I?"**

Christian looked down, and Leena realised what he had been talking to the doctor about. She realised the difficult situation he was in, and didn't envy him at all. She could also admire the organoid, for wanting to know the truth, no matter what.

Christian sighed deeply. "No. No, they said the damage was…" he broke off, unable to continue. "I'm sorry. Had I known…"

"**It's okay. It's okay…" **The organoids growl was weaker than before. **"How long?"**

"A few days, a week at the most."

"**Not too bad then. Not too bad…"**

Christian slowly got up and motioned everyone out. Leena lingered, somehow drawn to the dying organoid. "Come on. Let's give her time alone." Christian slowly wheeled her out.

"You hated that, didn't you?" She asked gently. She was shocked to see tears in the corner of his eyes.

"It's not in my instinct to lie, but in this case…" He sighed deeply, and once again the weight of all those years showed in his eyes. "I have never liked death, particular that caused by my actions. That's why I never accepted a high rank in the armed forces back on Earth. I hate sending people to their deaths." In his eyes Leena could see that he had been forced to do so before. _'I bet there's a nightmare for everyone who has died under his command…"_

He looked at her oddly for a long time, before slowly he walked away, a determined set to his face. Leena didn't know what he intended, but somehow she felt that somehow it was connected to her…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Fiona stood before the tanks that held the wounded zoids; her arms wrapped round her self. Her gaze alternated between the two. Every fibre in her being cried out to help these two tireless fighters, but she didn't know how. She had been able to converse with both of them, in short bursts, and what she learned drove her desire to help even higher. But how…

The ringing of metal on metal, along with the tremors caused by heavy footfalls, told her a zoid was approaching. She didn't even need to turn around; she knew which zoid it was. Slowly the Liger Zero lowered its great head to nuzzle her gently. She placed her arm across the zoids massive nose. "Oh Zeke, what are we to do?" she wailed.

**#Don't despair Fiona. Together we revived the Shield Liger did we not, all those years ago…#**

"Yes, but back then you were a separate organoid."

**#My point stands. If we could do that, alone and acting only on instinct, surely there is hope…#**

"I wish there was…" more footsteps approached, this time the lightweight tones of a man. Fiona concentrated for a second…

Christian stepped up besides her, standing at least a full foot taller than she. "Any change?"

"Nothing positive" She replied, looking at his face. "What's wrong?" Pain and anguish were written all over him. Even after all those years of life, he had never managed to hide his feelings.

"Iycan's dieing…" He said simply as he punched up data from both tanks. Fiona didn't say anything. She knew that he had an attachment to all the organoids that had his zoid as a mentor. Loosing one like this…

"So faced with her death, you came here, hoping to find a way to save these zoids." It wasn't a question at all, since she knew that was exactly what had been going though his mind.

"Something like that…" He had brought up the displays of the two zoids cores. Each was displayed as a green sphere made up of hexangular plates. The damaged sections were lined in red. Cursing, he slammed a fist down onto the console as he sat down in the chair at the end. "If only their cores weren't damaged! Then we could of…" he stopped suddenly.

"What?" Fiona asked. Christian didn't answer, but stared at the displays. She glanced at them, then back at him. "What is it?"

He didn't answer, but got up and began to fiddle with both displays. Fiona watched as he brought both together till they overlapped. He began to trace the remaining red segments with his finger, a smile beginning to form on his lips. A crafty smile, with a sudden bright look in his eye…

"Chris, what are you planning?" Fiona asked in worry, backing away slightly. She had seen such a smile once before, and the others from his original team had warned her to beware the time when such a look entered Christians eye. It always heralded him doing something outrageous, ingenious, or downright crazy. And quite often it was all three at once.

She looked again at the display, where the two zoids cores overlapped. Almost all the red was covered by green… and suddenly found herself short of breath.

"You're… your not thinking of doing what I think your thinking of doing!" She almost screeched.

"It's been done before…"

"Yes, and look what happened! Besides, those two were in perfect health, and identical twins! You're suggesting doing it to two different zoid, both on the brink of death!" Fiona was shocked that Christian was even considering such an idea!

"I understand your concerns Fiona, but I think this may be the only way to same them both."

**#I agree# **The Liger Zero growled. Fiona spun round to stare at the liger in shock.

"What? Zeke, you agree with him?"

**#I do# **The Liger nodded. **#I have known both zoids, and neither deserves to die. Christians plan is bold, but it could work#**

"You do realise your going to need not only permission from the Blitz, but also Leena, the Council, both zoids, and _her._"

"I know. It's only the council that worries me." Christian turned towards her, serious again. "Can I count on your support?"

Fiona was stunned at Christian's question. He rarely took up motions with the Council, and even more rarely did he ask for help in such matters. He always voted the way his conscious dictated, and he expected the same of the others. For him to seek support… Fiona thought hard about her answer, going over everything she knew about him. At last she decided.

"Of course." She said quietly, hoping that she would not regret her decision…

* * *

**O'Neill: **Just what the hell is he planning?

**Carter: **I have no idea sir... I mean, Jack (blushes)

**DR: **We'll find out next time. And Leena will return to her old self...


	43. Council of War

**DR: **As a heads up, I'm currently planning a sequel/continuation of this tale, focusing much more on the Blitz. Not sure how it would end though...

**Zeke: **You'll think of something.

**DR: **Thanks for the vote of confidence.

**Zeke: **Anytime.

**DR: **Oh, and we've got a Bit/Leena 'Moment' coming...

* * *

Chapter 43: Council of War

"I call this emergency session of the City Council to order."

Christian sat quietly, rehearsing his case. The news that Hiltz was back and planning to attack had spread like wildfire to the council members. At long last the city would be used as it had been designed, as a fortress of light against an eternal night.

He looked round the gathered members, a slight smile of his face despite the time and the issues that had to be discussed. When he had helped to craft the city and the council, he had borrowed ideas from a piece of great literature from Earth, and so the council was nine strong. There was a member for each major branch of authority or race, plus a select number of elected positions.

Christian himself stood for the armed forces, the City Guard charged with the defence of the city and their lands, and the enforcement of the law. Fortunately that last role was rarely needed. Fiona had been given the role of speaking for the remaining ancient Zoidians, including those who were fifty percent zoidian. Her faction was small and ever decreasing, but they still held significant power. She had come a long way since her first arrival with Van, almost one hundred and sixty years ago. Back then she had been quiet, unsure and rarely spoke. But she had flourished and was considered one of the best minds in the Council. She sat to his left.

Beyond her was Councillor Racknor, the organoid. The second oldest member on the council, it was his role to speak for all the organoids and zoids that worked both within and without the city. Christian knew that he would support him, as the life of a zoid was almost sacred to an organoid, with a few notable exceptions.

Next sat the chief medical practitioner, Dr Avon Turell. As the head of the medical system, he oversaw everything that happened in the Primary Centre personally, and often visited the smaller clinics and wards scattered throughout the city. Unlike some of his predecessors, he was a doctor first and foremost. Christian was sure he would support him.

After that where the five elected councillors and this was what worried him. Those five were often more concerned about their personal power and fortune than the well-being of the city, and rarely gave a toss about the world as a whole. It had happened before, almost a hundred and sixty years ago. If he had not pushed, his team would never have been released to do their job. As it was, it would have been too late, had Van and Raven not stopped the Death Saurer themselves. At most they would be indifferent to the conflict that threatened to engulf the rest of the world, as long as their own power base was safe. So Hiltz's claim of attacking the city directly had thrown they all into a panic.

No, that wasn't completely true. They did rise above their petty squabbles and did what was good for the people most of the time. It had been cast in stone and branded on each person raised in the city that the politicians were responsible to the people, and if the people were unhappy, they could bring them down faster than a falling rock. Christian had gone over the structure of power so many times that he was sure that he had found nearly all the loopholes. Of course he never let himself believe that he had found them all, so there was a small line in the small print. As military commander in chief, he had the power to bring down anyone who was gaining too much control, if he had proof. It had only been needed once. The man in question had tried to blackmail him into doing nothing by threatening his family, but Christian had stuck to his guns. The threat itself was proof enough, and the emerging tyrant had been cut down before he could seize full control. Since then no one had dared try again.

Councillor Cornells was chairing this session. "By now we have all learned about the intruder, and the message it relayed. The question is what are we going to do about."

"Why should we do anything?" Councillor Traven spoke up. "I see no reason to believe Hiltz at all. I'd bet he spun his tale simply to scare us."

"Councillor, Hiltz did not lie. He has become fixated on destroying those who defeated him last time round."

"Maybe so, so now would be the time to send these outsiders on their way. They've seen too much already."

"Councillor, they are not outsiders. They are family." Fiona countered hotly.

"Ah, this means that you are not impartial enough to make an informed decision Fiona." Traven had never respected Fiona, seeing her position as useless. In his view, the 'Ancients' and 'Half-breeds' controlled too much power, when they made up barely ten percent of the population.

"The whole point of this city was to be a bastion of light." Councillor Luwren stepped in. Christian was surprised that she was on his side, for now. "What is the point of having a citadel like ours, where heroes are created, when no one knows about it?"

"I still maintain that we should have not got involved with the affairs going on outside our lands."

"**So you would have us all hide behind our mountain chain, and watch the rest of the world be destroyed?" **Racknor snapped.

"I expect such a reaction from a walking tin can." Traven sneered. "But I also wish to understand something. How did that Cybrid get here? Not even they could get though our mountain chain. Care to comment Masters?" Christian cursed under his breath. He had been hoping that 'that' question wouldn't come up.

"At this time, I suspect that the Cybrid _may _have been attached to the Blitz Teams transport during the transit through the mountains."

"Ahh, so it was you who let them in! Why don't you just give them the keys to the city!"

"Traven, that's enough!" Cornells snapped. "What's done is done. Now, do you have any plans Masters?"

"Yes I do. I propose the following measures. One, we prepare to evacuate all the non-combatants, as in all the children, the elderly and the infirm. Second, we call all members of the City Guard to combat status." The City Guard was mainly made up of the population doing turns, surrounding a core of experienced lifelong members. Serving the City Guard for a full year before settling down was not compulsory, but it was looked on favourably. Generally every person in the city would spend one week each year in the Guard. If the worst came to the worst, the Guard would become the army, with the experienced officers acting as squad leaders. Combat status meant that the entire guard would be mobilised, ready for war. All the non-lethal weapons on the Rev Raptors would be replaced, and the more powerful zoids that slept in their chambers would be awoken.

"Third, we bring all the fixed defensives to full power. Fourth, we mobilise the HERCs…"

Traven spluttered into his drink. "Those old rust buckets? Are you insane! Their nothing more than heaps of junk!"

"I assure you Councillor; those HERCs are more than capable war machines. The Cybrids know this, and their appearance should unsettle them."

"Is that all your proposing?" Luwren asked gently, before Traven could cut in.

Christian sighed. "No. I also propose we call for aid from the other powers in the world. Namely the Helic Republic, the Guylos Empire, and the ZBC."

"Absolutely not! I will not allow our sacred city to be desecrated by more outsiders!" Traven snarled.

"**Would you rather it was razed to the ground by the Cybrids?"**

"Councillor Masters, all that seems a little… extreme at the moment." Cornells diplomatically said. "I agree with most of your suggestions, but have you considered the fact that Hiltz might have said he'd attack, hoping we would bring in help from elsewhere, and then attack our weakened allies?"

Christian nodded. "It did, but I ruled it out since both Hiltz and the Cybrid central consciousness have reasons to want this city destroyed first."

"I propose that we downgrade the proposed status of both the guard and the fixed defences to 'alert'. That way we can still continue to keep our economy strong yet be ready to respond as soon as hostiles are sighted." Luwren said gently.

Christian bowed his head. "I would be willing to accept that." Hidden by his motion he smiled. He had expected there to be opposition to any mobilisation of the Guard, so he had advanced the maximum possible mobilisation first, so that he would seem reasonable when he drew back. He would never be able to lie convincingly… but he did know how to get people on his side.

"Well then, let's bring it to the vote." The vote was an overwhelming 'Yes', with only a single 'No'.

"Now, Christian has a second issue he needs to discus with us…" Cornells began.

"Another one?" Traven snarled quietly.

Christian sat up straight. "Yes. As you are no doubt aware, my zoid recently rescued two fatally damaged zoids from Cybrid attacks. Neither zoid will survive much longer, and all traditional courses to heal them are not enough to save them. However, I believe I have found a solution…"

He tapped a control on his pad before him. In the centre of the round table they all sat round, the holo-projector powered up, and the images of the two damaged zoid cores appeared.

"What I propose is that we merge the two cores together…" as Christian said this, the two separate images moved together to overlap. "To form a single core for a new zoid, one with the minds and memories of both the original zoids."

As expected Traven was the one to counter the proposal. "Are you INSANE? You're talking about doing what Hiltz did, when he and Ambient created the Death Stinger! You plan to create a monster!"

"The two zoids in question are nowhere nearly as powerful as the zoids used by Hiltz…"

Luwren leaned forward. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but the two zoids you intent to merge are both different breeds. A Gunsniper and…" A frown crossed her face.

"A Dibison."

"Masters, you are beyond insane! It will never work! To even think about doing this…" Traven shook his head. "I knew that someday you would lose your mind…"

"**Masters," **The Organoids growl and translated voice cut across the mumbles of Traven. **"Is this the only way to save the zoids?"**

"I believe it is." Racknor nodded slowly.

"Is there anymore discussion?" Cornells asked. When no one replied, he pushed on. "Then we will vote. Christian?"

"Yes."

"Fiona?"

"Yes."

"Racknor?"

"**Yes."**

"Dr Turell?"

"Yes."

"Chair abstains." Christian gripped his chair tightly. The next few votes would decide the fate of both those zoids. "Davis?"

The Councillor sighed deeply "No."

"Traven?"

"NO, NO, and double NO!"

"A single 'no' would have sufficed. Trean?"

"…No." The old man shook his head sadly, unable to meet anyone's eyes.

"Luwren?" She looked at Christian for a long moment. It was down to her. If she voted no, then everything would be in deadlock for hours. If she voted yes, then the 'Yes' vote would win by five to three. At last she answered.

"Yes." Christian sagged in his chair with relief.

"Councillor Masters, you have the council's approval." Traven grumbled, but no one paid him much attention. "And may I say, good luck. You're going to need it."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Outside the council cambers the Blitz team sat and waited, along with Van, Raven and Resse. Christian had told them all of his plans, and the dangers. Now he had to get permission from the council to go ahead with it. He had warned them all that it could take hours before a final verdict was reached, but none of them wished to go anywhere.

When the doors opened it came almost as a shock. Councillor Traven was the first out, sending the Blitz Team a death glare as he strode away quickly.

"I don't like that guy." Sarah muttered. "Reminds me of the Committee."

"No one really likes him." Christian told her. He had slipped out while Traven had distracted them. "But quite a few owe him favours. That's why he's in the council." Christian sighed deeply. Fiona embraced Van warmly on the far side of the chamber.

"So, how did it go?" Bit asked.

"We have a go."

"Yes!" Bit trumped.

"Not so fast Bit. There is no guarantee of success. And we still need permission from Leena herself and one other…"

"Who?"

Christian just smiled. "Bit, why don't you go and talk to Leena? Take her the good news yourself?"

Bit's grin returned and he dashed off towards the hospital. Leon stepped up close to Christian, who watched Bit go with concern in his eyes.

"You sure about this?"

"Yes. And I've let her linger there alone far too long."

"You think he's the one to get her back?"

Christian continued to stare after Bit. "I know he is."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Bit slowly walked though the hospital, looking for Leena. He had been told where to find her, and he was surprised. She had been staying with the wounded organoid all day.

Of more concern was her deterioration. The Doctors hadn't stopped her going to the organoid since it seemed to help her out of the depression she was in. But everyone knew the organoid was dying. They feared that once the organoid died, Leena would slip back into the state she had been in. Bit was determined to not let that happen.

At last he found the room. Leena sat in her wheelchair at the foot of the bed with the organoid on it, apparently sleeping. As he stepped closer, Bit could see that the shard of her zoid was still besides her. But most worrying of all was that this Leena had none of the fire that he had come to expect of her. She seemed almost lifeless.

"Hey…" Slowly she stirred.

"Hey…"

"I brought you some cookies!" Bit pulled the small bag out of his jacket pocket.

"That's… nice."

"Leena, what's wrong?" Bit was really worried about her.

"Bit, you might as well forget about me…"

"I never could Leena dear." Bit cut her off. "The only thing that needs forgetting is this." he picked up the fragment.

Suddenly the life returned to her eyes. "Give that back!" she snarled.

"Why? It's nothing more than a fragment of zoid armour. A dead fragment at that."

"It's all I have left of my zoid! Yes it's dead, just like my zoid! Why else would no one talk to me about it!"

Bit shook his head. "It's not dead Leena. Dying, but not dead." He dropped down besides her. "Christians got a plan to save it. Don't you want that?" Leena glared at him, the fire back in her violet eyes.

"Bit, I'm nothing! I'm useless as a zoid pilot! The only thing I'm ever good at is blowing up the landscape and wasting ammo!" She slumped back into her chair, tears falling from her eyes unnoticed. "I don't belong on the Blitz. I never have…"

Bit was stunned at these words coming form her, and so was Iycan. She had been listening throughout, feigning sleep. She had been grateful for Leena's companionship, but Iycan had seen the deep mental scars she carried. It was her talent, psychology. Most of the time the patient in question didn't even need to speak; Iycan knew almost instinctively what was wrong.

… **_Mnementh, are you out there?_**

…_**Yes Iycan. What is it?**_

…**_It's this Leena Toros. You wouldn't believe what she just said… _**The organoid opened her mind to allow the great dragon zoid to review her short-term memories. The zoidian equivalent of a sigh came across.

…_**I knew this was going to come out. I just hope Bit can pull her back from the brink…**_

…_**So do I. I've grown… attached to her…**_

…_**You, miss 'I don't need anybodies help'? My, this is a turn up for the books…**_

…_**Stop laughing old one. Now, what is Christian planning?**_

"Oh Leena…" Bit wrapped her in his arms. "Leena, your not useless, your part of our team. It wouldn't be the same without you."

"Oh really? I'm the worst pilot of us all!"

"Worst pilot of the team? Leena, listen to yourself! You're just as good as anyone else in the team! Remember when the base was attacked, and we had to fight tooth and nail to win?"

"Uh huh…"

"Remember you saving Leon? You were out of ammo, but you didn't let that stop you. You've been part of the team since it was founded. Since then you've improved greatly."

"Maybe…" Leena had to agree; in the last couple of matches she had been hitting her targets more often.

"Leena, remember all those nights out we had, alone or with Leon and Sarah? You were one of us."

She remained silent.

"Everyone cares for you, even when you've been chasing them for cookie theft. I care…" Bit gently reached a hand out to turn her face towards him. "Leena, you are greater than you think. And beautiful…" Bit stopped, trailing off.

"Bit, what are you trying to say?"

"Leena, you have so much to live for…" At once she was recalled the words that that massive zoid had said. 'Do you have anything worth living for?'

"Please, without you, I don't think I can carry on…"

Hope began grow within Leena's heart again. "Really?"

Bit nodded, tears glistening in the corners of his eyes. "Yes. When you went missing, I knew I would have done anything to find you. And if those… machines had… killed you, I don't know what I would have done…"

"Oh Bit…"

"Please, Leena, come back to us. Come back to me…" As Bit watched, it seemed that Leena's hair regained its lustre and shine right before his eyes, and the sparkle returned to her eyes. To the delight of Iycan and Mnementh watching though her eyes the two of them embraced, their mouths locked together in a passionate kiss.

…_**Finally!**_

…**_No shit…_** Iycan agreed, gently crooning without meaning to.

The sudden sound caused both humans to open an eye to look at the organoid, but neither broke the kiss. Both of them felt complete at last, Bit finding the missing piece of his heart and Leena finding at last someone who wanted _her,_ not Leena the Zoid Pilot, or Leena the Girl with Supermodel Looks. Not even Leena, Daughter of Steve Toros, but just Leena herself.

She luxuriated in the feel of his month on hers, the warm embrace that he held her in. She gently allowed her hands to trace the muscles beneath his shoulders, while his slid up and down her spine. She tried to pull him closer, but the wheelchair she sat in prevented that. They both parted laughing.

"Come on. I think it's time you left that chair behind."

Leena bit her lip. She hadn't tried to walk at all since her attack. The Doctors had told her that she should be more than capable to do so, but she had never believed them. Now though, with Bit besides her…

Slowly, stiffly she pushed herself up. The muscles in her legs complained about the lack of use, but Bit was there to support her. Slowly she tottered towards the window. With each step she took, the pain filled self-doubts she had had faded a bit more. The sudden sense of freedom she felt took her higher and higher, and to Bit and Iycan watching, it was as if watching something being born. At last she reached the open window. Leaning out, she took a deep breath of the cool air, and for the first time smelled the scent of flowers, felt the peace and sense of life that fill the air.

She spun back round to face Bit, but the muscles in her leg complained badly, and she fell towards him. Bit caught her gently, nestling her in his embrace. "I'll always be here to catch you…" He whispered to her.

"I know…" Leena smiled, nuzzling into his neck. "So, what is Christian planning to do for my zoid?"

Bit lowered his head to tell her. She snapped her head back to look him in the eye.

"He wants to WHAT?" She screeched. Underneath his wince, Bit grinned. The Leena they all knew, the one he loved, was back.

* * *

**DR: **Well, that's all for now.

**Shadow: **She's still got a few loose screws...

**DR: **Yea, but those will be fixed. All in good time...


	44. Of Gods, Zoids & Men

**DR: **Since several of you have asked, Leena's new zoid will appear at the end of chapter 49, with more detailed information in the beginning of chapter 50. I know, I was surprised myself at how long it took...

**Shadow: **Yea right.

**DR: **(glares at Shadow) In compensation, the 'final battle' is even longer than I first thought...

**O'Neill: **How?

**DR: **(Grins) It starts at the end of chapter 52, and finishes mid chapter 59!

**O'Neill: **(Stunned look) oh.

**DR: **Now then, shall we continue?

* * *

Chapter 44: Of Gods, Zoids & Men

Christian removed his coat before entering the chamber. One did not go to see _her_ in anything less than a neat and respectful condition.

The chamber he entered was near the heart of the mountain on which the city had been built. Accessible only via the top level, it was the most holy place in the city. A spar of rock jutted out into a vast underground cavern. Small lights had been placed along the rim of the spar, but apart from that there was no light. Slowly he walked to the end of the spar before dropping to one knee. He was prepared to wait as long as was needed.

Almost as soon as his knee touched the rock, mists began to rise up from the lower reaches of the cavern. They swirled around him before forming a vague shape just beyond the spar.

"**_Arise Christian. You do not need to bow to me." _**The gentle feminine voice filled the cavern.

"Never the less, I do, my lady. You deserve it." Christian said as he stood up. The other laughed gently.

"_**You pay me too much respect. Now, tell me why you have come."**_

"My lady, I have grave tidings. The Evil that I came to defend against when I first arrived has arisen, and is in league with Hiltz." Christian could see the mists begin to twirl faster. "They have already struck out, and I am convinced that they plan to attack our city soon."

"_**I was afraid of this. I thought Hiltz was dead, but if Ambient survived…"**_

"I know. But what I truly fear is that somehow the Death Saurer may too have survived."

The mists spun faster, coiling together into a smaller form just before him. Faster and faster they spun, before dying down. Revealed was a female figure, her features plain, her form completely covered in a single pale blue colour. **_"How?" _**Shock and fear were rampant in her voice.

"Parts of Hiltz's body were covered with zoid core scales. In other areas his skin had been split to expose more." Christian looked into those featureless eyes. "I believe the Death Saurer is using him like it used Prozen last time."

The figure trembled. **_"You have a plan?"_**

"I intend for this city to become what we always planed for, a bastion against the darkness. But to do that, I will need your help."

"_**How so?"**_

"I have two zoids, both on the verge of death. Neither will last long. They both once belonged to the same pilot. I wish to combine them both."

The figure turned away, clearly troubled. **_"You're sure about this?"_**

Christian sighed. "No, but I can see no other option. But in my heart I believe it is the right course."

She turned back to face him. **_"Let me see…" _**She held out her hands. Without reply, Christian held out his as she stepped forward. They both gripped each other's forearms, while mists swirled round them both. Christian closed his eyes as they both fell into the trance. He could feel her gently probing his mind, gathering everything he knew about the case at hand.

…_**Yes, it can be done. It has too. But what form would such a zoid take? Neither zoid is strong enough, nor are the cores complete enough, to exert a dominate self image…**_

'_That is where you come in. You're the only one who can impose a new form.'_

…_**I ran out of ideas centuries ago. Do you have any ideas?**_

Christian raked his mind, trying to think of a form that would fit the two zoids starting point. Then unbidden an image slid in, of a gentle creature from Earth's distant past. He knew instinctively that it was the right one.

'_How about this?'_

…**_Perfect. It combines the traits of both… _**Slowly they parted. Christian opened his eyes to look into her featureless ones.

"_**I will help you in this task, but you must find others to help as well. I have to conserve my energy."**_

"What for, if I may be so bold?"

"_**When they arrive, call me. I will stand alongside you."**_

"Eve, it's too dangerous. If what I think is true…"

"_**It is something I should have done a long time ago. I am tired of hiding from him!"**_

Christian bowed his head. "As you wish. After all, you are a goddess, so to speak."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Leena was struggling to understand what Bit was telling her. "He wants to MERGE my Gunsniper with a DIBISON?"

"Not just any Dibison Leena, your old Dibison. The one you used to pilot when I first joined the team."

Leena sat back, shocked. The very idea that one could merge so radically different zoids… it took some getting used to. But then again, in the last couple of days she had met her ancestors, heroes from almost a hundred and sixty years ago, and inherited something made on Earth!

"Can he do it?"

"I don't know, maybe."

Besides them both, Iycan continued to mentally talk to Mnementh. **_…How did she switch from a Dibison to a Gunsniper? Those two types are so radically different in style…_**

…_**She didn't change her style. She went to a specialist Zoid dealer. Sunk a lot of money into custom parts. Poor thing got lumbered with a top end 'Wild Weasel' unit, fully loaded…**_

…_**Ouch. That must have hurt…**_

…_**Indeed. The zoid loves Leena, but is still deeply embarrassed at being used in such a fashion…**_

Leena gazed out of the window for a long while. "Bit, I want to see them, before…"

Bit nodded. "I understand. Think you can walk there?"

"With you besides me?" She grinned. "Easily."

X-X-X-X-X-X

The pair of them slowly walked out of the hedge gate that led to the health centre. Leena's leg was still stiff, but the Doctors had told her that it would ease up quickly if she stayed active. Right now gentle walking was the best thing she could do to help herself heal.

Leena looked about her again. "I never realised how big this place was."

Bit chuckled. "Wait till you see the rest of the city lower down…" He trailed off.

"What?" Leena asked. When she noticed his eyes tracking something behind her, she turned to look. Van and Fiona were gently walking along a path that led somewhere off up the mountain. Each of them carried a wreath.

"Wonder where they're going…" Bit murmured.

"Let's find out…" Leena stated, turning to follow them.

"You sure?"

"Bit, I'm not going to break."

Shrugging Bit joined her as they followed the older couple. Fortunately Van and Fiona took their time, which allowed Leena to keep up. The path wound up the hillside gently, before coming to a solid stonewall with a gap allowing entrance. Both older people walked inside while Bit and Leena remained outside.

"Bit, this isn't stone. It's dead zoid plating."

Bit looked closely at the wall they were leaning against. Sure enough it was a dead zoid part. Bit took a good look at both sections of wall. Each wall looked like one of the segments of a Gustavs back…

"Well old friends, it's that time again." Van's voice drifted out from inside. Bit and Leena looked in to see him and Fiona standing over a pair of graves, side by side. Each grave was raised up from the surrounding ground, and on each side stood stone carved statues of zoids, clearly scaled down. On the one side was a Command Wolf, flanked by a Lightning Saix. The other side had a strange pairing, a Gustav next to a massively scaled down Ultrasaurus.

"Things are coming to a head again." Van continued. Fiona brushed a tear from her eye. "We could have really used your skills Irvine, or one of your sassy jokes about now Moonbay."

Bit slowly shrank back, stunned at the names spoken. Even Leena knew those two, the Companions of Van and Fiona. Those four together had been the core of the Guardian Force during those early years. While their names weren't held in quite as high regard as Van and Fiona, people still knew about them. Many gravesites claimed to have them buried within their walls, but not one had been able to prove it.

"I think we'd better leave them to grieve."

"Yea…"

X-X-X-X-X-X

When they got to the hanger, they saw a hive of activity. The Blitz team's zoids were still within the hanger, but the remaining spaces were filled with a mixture of Blade Ligers, Dibisons and Gojulas's, while a number stood off to one side, awaiting their turn. All were in the black and gold trim of the City Guard.

Bit gently led Leena off to the left, towards were the reserved hanger section was. Before they reached it though they turned right, and entered the region know as 'Zoid Intensive Care Region'.

Leena almost choked when she saw the state of both zoids. Death was creeping up on them both. Clearly it was only a matter of time before they died. Christian stood before them, hard at work at a console. Off to one side was the massive zoid Mnementh, dwarfing everything else.

Christian turned to face them both. "Ah Leena. Good to see you're up and about again." He greeted them both.

"Thanks to Bit." Leena snuggled into Bit's arm, sending a flush up Bits face and a twinkle into Christian's eyes.

"Good to hear. Has Bit told you?"

"Yes."

"Good. I want you to understand now that we will not proceed without your consent. They are your zoids, if you don't wish us to do this, then we won't."

Leena stood there for a long time, staring at the two zoids in their tanks. She could almost feel their pain. She nodded slowly.

"Do it. I only wish…"

"That you could help? I think you can." Leena frowned at him. "Do you remember how the Fury was saved?"

"Yes, Vega had to…" Leena's shot open. "You're the one who had those headsets sent to us!" Christian just smiled.

"Yes, that was me, since I'm constricted as to how far I roam with Mnementh. He's the one who would have done the link. For it to work here though, he has to be a part of the process."

"How so?" Bit asked.

"Merging the minds of such radically different zoids is going to be difficult. Both care deeply for you, but they both have mental scars." Leena shivered as she recalled her own recent plunge into her own darkness. "The Dibison is angry with you for selling it, while the Gunsniper is ashamed."

"Of me?"

"Of itself. It thinks it failed you, not only when you were attacked, but as a zoid in general."

"No, that's not true…"

"Never the less, that's what it believes. If this is to work, you'll need to reconcile both zoids feelings." Leena shivered at the thought of taking on such a task.

"You will have help though. Mnementh will protect your mind, and try to apply cold logic to the case. Also another has offered to help."

"Who?" Leena asked, but then the sound of a rolling trolley came from behind. Turning, she saw the organoid she had been visiting wheeled in. "What? I don't understand."

"Iycan is dying, but somehow she's found something in you that she likes." Christian's eyes showed that he was as surprised as they were. "Maybe it's your no nonsense personality. She's always been a loner before." He shrugged. "I think we're ready. Shall we begin?"

Leena slowly nodded as she was led deeper within. At the back of the chamber there were three massive zoid pools, far larger than the one they saw in the Whale King. Both wounded zoids were slowly raised out of their tanks before being gently lowered into the central pool along with the still form of Iycan. Mnementh laid himself down on the floor, his nose almost touching the pools side. Stretched out like this his massive length was clear.

"We're all set here." Susan called from where she had been working at the poolside.

"Okay. Leena, Mnementh wants you in his cockpit."

"Can I stay with her?" Christian regarded Bit for a second, before turning to his zoid.

"What do you think? Would his presence hinder or help?"

…_**Bit Clouds presence would help. He can be used as an anchor for Leena…**_

Christian turned back to Bit. "Okay. Don't try and wake her, just be there." Bit nodded solemnly.

The massive zoids canopy opened. The cockpit revealed was larger than most bedrooms, with a forward seat, a pair behind that each surrounded by consoles and three long seats forming three sides of square at the rear. Christian motioned them to the back row of the square, the total seating arrangement enough for eleven people.

"Remember Leena, you have to reconcile the zoids, while maintaining a firm grip on yourself. Mnementh and Iycan will do what they can, but you're the central focus. Ready?" She nodded nervously.

Christian backed out. The huge canopy closed, sealing them both in. The lights dimmed as Mnementh began to reach out with his mind.

"What ever happens Bit, don't let go of me." Leena gripped his hand tightly.

"I won't."

Smiling once more, Leena closed her eyes. She heard the voice of the zoid again in her head.

…_**Leena, are you ready? Remember, you don't have to do this…**_

'_I have to. Let's do it.'_

…_**All right, hang on…**_

With a sudden rush, Leena's mind left her body…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Leena found herself walking though dense mists. She could see nothing ahead but thick tendrils of mist drifting back and forth. It was dark, damp and cold too. Dressed in her favourite yellow top and sky blue skirt, she shivered slightly.

…**_Cold? …_** The voice of Mnementh reached her ears, and she turned her left. There was the silhouette of the massive zoid, walking towards her. But something was different…

When at last he emerged from the mists, Leena gaped in shook. "Your, your…"

…**_Much smaller here than you were expecting?_** The now pony sized zoid chuckled. **_…I find it easier to relate to those I help in this form…_**

**#Here, everyone is the same size# **Leena turned to her right, to see Iycan standing before her. She too was smaller than before.

…_**Now, shall we do what we came here to do?**_

Leena nodded, and together with her zoid companions began to trek though the mists…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Outside, in the real world, Christian stood watching the poolside displays. Nodding to himself, he turned to face Susan. "It's up to them now, we've done all we can." He said to her, tiredness in his voice. She looked up at him, worry in her eyes.

"You sure this is going to work?"

"It has to. Those three will not survive otherwise..."

They both looked at the small porthole into the pool. Already a soft glow came from within, slowly brightening. At the heart of the pool, the body of the organoid Iycan glowed, slowly extending tendrils of light to both damaged zoids. As the light reached the zoids, they began to glow, dimly at first, but growing brighter…

Christian sighed. "This is going to take a while, even if Leena can reconcile the zoids…"

"You said it yourself. We've done all we can."

"I know, but still…"

Susan gently pulled him away. "You're not going to do anything just standing there. Come on, you need to relax for a while. There are enough things for you to worry about right now as it is, no need to wind yourself up trying to affect something you can't touch."

Christian smiled. "As always you're right. So what did you have in mind?"

She smiled sweetly back. "Oh a number of things…"

"Such as?"

Susan paused for a second. What she really wanted to say could not be said there. "How about we spar for a while? That always cleared your mind…"

Christian smiled another one of his small smiles. "Lead on, Mrs Masters."

* * *

**DR: **Well, it has begun...

**O'Neill: **Okay, get your bets down people!

**Shadow: **My money's not going down.

**DR: **(Sighs) Anyway, next chapter has a lot of romantic fluff, a bit of heartache, and passions start to rise...


	45. Proposals & Bonding

**DR: **I am so stupid...

**Zeke:** 0-0 How so?

**DR: **I made a couple of very stupid errors in this fic...

**O'Neill: **Such as?

**DR: **Well for one, I got Naomi's eye colour wrong (I said brown, but it's actually a dark reddish-purple), and I assumed that Sarah's hair was the same as Resse's (the only Zoids anime that's been on lately has been CC/GF). It's not, her hair's really a dark blue (makes sense when you think about it, as it's what you would get if you blended Raven's dark locks and Resse's bright blue strands) So now I've got to go through the and ensure that I've corrected all the references. (sighs)

**Zeke: **With that many words, that's going to take a while...

**DR: **Yea. Well, I suppose dark-blue hair can still 'shimmer', but 'vibrant' is not a word you could use to describe that colour...

**Shadow: **You really are a sap for love aren't you?

**DR: **I know, hopeless romantic. Anyway, Brad and Leon both pop one of 'those' questions, Jamie and Pierce get... closer, and you Bit/Leena fans will like the end of their scene (though I expect you'll get ready to throw stuff at me part way through!) Also, Vega meets a legend from the really ancient times!

* * *

Chapter 45: Proposals & Bonding

"It's so peaceful up here…"

Brad smiled at Naomi's comment. The pair of them were sat on a bench part way up the mountainside above the city. The view was breath taking from up there. Beneath them both was the plateau, and beyond that was the city itself, spread out in concentric rings. Then there was the open plain, green and fertile, with threads of blue interwoven though it. The gleam of metals from within the city turned it into a collection of jewels and ornaments. Faintly the sounds of running water could be heard; any other sound was smothered by it.

Around them plant life grew strong and vibrant. A willow gave them shade from the sun, the gentle breeze making the leaves rustle quietly. The mountain path had been gentle, winding back and forth. Every now and again the gravel path was reinforced with wooden sleepers, while alongside a riot of plants grew.

"I almost wish we could take a part of this place home with us…" She sighed, leaning into his shoulder.

Brad had to agree, there was something about this place that stilled his soul. He wanted nothing more than to remain there, Naomi at his side. The two of them sat together with their arms round each other. It was the perfect place for him to do what he needed to do.

"About that Na', going home that is…" He began. She twisted her head to look up at him. "I think we're going to need make a small adjustment in our lives…"

"What are you saying?" Worry began to drip into her gut.

"Well, I think it would look better if, when we return home, the door to our room says 'Mr and Mrs Hunter', wouldn't you think so?" Bard asked her smiling.

Naomi's jaw dropped back onto his shoulder. In truth she had been wondering if he was ever going to propose, but she had never expected it to be so soon…

"Brad, you sure? I mean you do have your reputation…" He silenced her with one finger.

"Na', I've been wrestling with this for a while now. But I realised that this…" He gentle slipped his hand from her shoulder to the side of her belly. "…Is what I want, besides you with me. And what kind of image would I be sending out if I didn't marry you?" She smiled with him.

"Not a good one…"

"Exactly…" He whispered as they kissed a slow, passionate kiss. Eyes closed, they clung to each other, determined to never let anything come between them.

"Brad…" She whispered when they parted for air. "Are we going to tell the others?"

"Of course." He said gently, reaching his right hand back to his neck. "I'm afraid I don't have a ring at the moment…" he told her apologetically as he lifted his necklace from around his head. "…But I do have this."

Naomi's eyes widened in shock his gesture of respect. "Brad… that is your family heirloom! It belongs round your neck!" He had told her the secret behind his necklace. Just like the one Leena had recently inherited, his too went all the way back to Earth, from a region that had been called North America. It was a trinket of the native tribal people who had lived there, centuries ago.

"It will go where I want it to go." He told her as he slipped it over her head. He gently lifted her hair out from underneath it as it settled down around her neck. Since it was made for him, the main pendent hung a little lower on her, placed right over her heart. She gently lifted her hand to press down on it, feeling the smooth warm rock though her shirt against her skin.

"Brad, I… don't know what to say…"

"How about 'Yes'?" He smirked as he lowered his head again for another kiss. Just before their lips met, she whispered her answer.

"Oh god yes…" His lips on hers stopped anything else she was going to say…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Jamie and Pierce wandered though Christian's mansion home. He had given them all free rein to wander the city, and everyone had split up. Bit and Leena had yet to be seen, while Brad and Naomi had decided to take a walk up the mountainside. Leon, Sarah, Stoller, Steve and Vega had headed down to the lower levels of the city. Vega and Steve had decided to look in the huge building they had seen on the fifth level, which Christian had told them was a museum. Leon and Sarah had decided to go their own way, while Stoller had tagged along with Steve and Vega.

Meanwhile Jamie and Pierce had wished to see again those great cats. They had followed Samantha back to their home. Both huge cats had greeted them all happily, and the five of them had spent an enjoyable time together. The two cats had proved to be just as powerful as their sleek bodies had suggested, but oh, the feeling of their coats! Pierce had never felt anything so silky soft before!

After a long enjoyable romp, the two of them had asked if they could explore the mansion themselves for a bit. Samantha had waved them off, telling them to help themselves. And so the pair of flyers wandered though the home, marvelling at everything. The whole building had an air of space and comfort, but also was practical and lived in. Ornaments and pictures hung on the walls, depicting scenes and objects that neither of them could recognise. They found a gallery filled with artwork that started off quite amateurish when compared to the works in the main rooms, but quickly the quality improved. They soon realised that they were looking at the works done by Christian and Susan themselves.

As the two of them explored more, they drifted closer together, until they were practically holding hands. When they touched it caused them both to jump. They smiled together like little children as they then gripped the other's hand.

Neither of them knew when the mutual attraction between them had truly started, but they both knew it. And they both knew about how the other felt. Pierce guessed her feelings stemmed from him saving her life, while Jamie felt that maybe he found in Pierce someone who could replace his long lost mother. She had died shortly after he had been born, so he had never had that close female figure. His father and his sister had raised him, but Jamie had never really gotten close to his aunt.

So the two of them felt something far more than companionship for the other, but neither felt that it had yet crystallised into love. They both knew there were no hurdles in their paths should they decide to head down such a road, but neither one had made a move yet.

They stepped though a doorway into a two-floored room. The central section of the upper floor was cut away, allowing a view of the floor below. They could see a slightly raised area below, marked by pale matting. There were trestle tables and racks along the walls, holding a frighteningly large number of sharp looking bladed weapons.

"What do you think this is for?" She whispered to him.

"I don't know…" He began, but he was interrupted by the sound of a door opening on the floor below. "…But I think we're about to find out."

On the floor below they watched as Christian and Susan walked to the centre of the matting. They had both changed into simple tunics and pants, his deep blue like his zoid, hers a wine coloured red. Together they stopped and slowly looked round the collection. Part way round she whispered something in his ear. Nodding he stepped away to one of the trestle tables. From the surface he picked up a pair of sheathed swords before returning to her. Passing one to her, he stepped back as she did the same. They drew their blades together, revealing long, slim, slightly curved swords, which gleamed in the gentle overhead lights. Tossing the sheaths aside, they both took up an on-guard pose.

For a long moment their stood like that, watching the other. Jamie noticed that they stood almost like a mirror to each other, holding their swords in opposite hands, her right, his left.

Pierce leaned down again to whisper to him. "What are they waiting for?"

Even as she finished speaking the two below moved forwards as one. They became a blur of motion, the ringing of steel on steel resounding in the air. They both swung and parried seamlessly, a constant flow. Twirling, swinging high and low, dancing back and forth, each sweep of a blade stopped with only a few inches to spare. The shining steel blended with the swirling blue and red cloth.

To Jamie and Pierce watching from above, it was like watching art being formed. Both combatants danced together with grace and passion, and neither appeared to be holding back. "No wonder they could dance so well." Jamie muttered. "They do this in their spare time…" Pierce didn't comment, for she had never seen such a display of skill in her life. _'If they're as good zoid pilots as they are swordsman,' _she thought _'Then nothing could stand before them.'_ It was breath taking how effortlessly they both moved. The amount of trust the two of placed in the other was made clear when his blade sliced into the floor after being deflected by hers. At first Pierce thought his blade must have just missed, but as they moved away the patch of matting folded up, showing a clear slit in the material. She gasped in shock. _'His blade cut through that stuff without slowing down! Those weapons must be razor sharp! If they connect with flesh…' _It was not hard to imagine whole arms being sliced off in one swoop.

As they watched the two continue to spar, their arms began to creep round each other. Neither Jamie or Pierce took their eyes from the scene below, but they gradually moved closer together, until they were pressed side to side, their arms round the others waist.

After almost half an hour, the two suddenly stopped, face to face. They both panted heavily, their chests heaving. Jamie didn't notice why at first they had stopped, but then he noticed the position of their weapons. Both blades were at the others neck, inside their guard. They had both stopped the fatal swing with only fractions of an inch to spare. For a long moment the two stood like that, staring into each other's eyes. Slowly Christian moved his blade away, using his arm to drag hers away too, as his free right arm snaked round her waist. She reciprocated the motion as he drew her closer to him. Their lips met in a kiss as they both let the blades fall to the floor, forgotten.

Pierce continued to watch them both continue to remain locked at the mouth as Jamie slowly turned towards her. She only turned to face him when she felt his free hand cup her cheek and pull her round and down. Over the last few months Jamie had grown by quite a bit. His height had gone up several inches and he had filled out quite a bit. In fact he was looking more and more like his father, who was built like a brick outhouse. Pierce still towered over him, but the gap between had narrowed, since his eyes were now level with her shoulder.

As they stared into each other's eyes, they both realised that it was time to take that next step…

With a sudden intake of breath she dropped her head down to kiss him firmly. Quickly their arms wrapped round each other as they both fell into the kiss…

X-X-X-X-X-X

In the darkened cockpit of the huge dragon zoid, Bit sat as calmly as he could besides Leena, holding her hand in his. With his free hand he periodically wiped the sweat from her brow, all the while watching her eyes shift back and forth underneath her eyelids. Leena muttered words almost continually, and every now and again she would jerk a little. Clearly things were happening in her head, and Bit wished with all his heart that he could help her. But all he could do was hold her hand, pray that she would return safely, and gently talk to her.

"Leena my dear, please come back to me. I only just found you again. I don't think I could survive you going again…"

He felt a noise beneath his feet, a deep-throated rumble coming from the zoid. Mnementh had been making such sounds every now and again…

"You're not worthless…" Leena gasped a little louder than before. Bit looked at her in shock, but then realised she was not talking to him, but she was verbalising her thoughts in this effort.

"I never realised… You were great…" Another trickle of sweat ran down her forehead as her eyes shifted. "I never believed zoids were alive…" Her tone was hurt, full of grief.

"I… sold you since I knew it would take months for you to recover… I needed a zoid to fight in, do you understand?" She jerked her arm again, almost tearing her hand out of Bits. Another rumble from below resounded.

"You were both the best… I'm… sorry. I want… to make it up…" her voice trailed off, going so quiet that Bit could barely hear her. After a long moment of silence, Bit began to speak again.

"Leena, please say something. I want to help you, but I don't know how…" His voice trailed off, as her eyes seemed to still.

"Yes…" Her voice was barely a whisper. "Yes, that's it…" A note of wonder had entered her voice. Bit began to feel joy enter him. It appeared that the process had worked!

"Beautiful…" she whispered once more before slumping back in her seat. Bit sat there, waiting for her to awake. After several minutes and she still hadn't awoken, Bit began to get worried.

"Leena? Come on Leena, wake up!" panic began to enter his voice. "Come on Leena, wake up! I need you, now more than ever!" She remained unresponsive. She didn't appear to be breathing…

Tears began to form in Bits eyes. _'No! She can't have gone! They told me they would protect her! Not like this!'_ Bit gripped her still hand in his, willing her to open her eyes. Still nothing happened. Bit began to break down, and slowly dropped his head. As her lifted her hand to his face, he didn't notice her slight breathing. As he kissed her knuckle, her eyelids flickered.

Leena was slowly returning to consciousness, her head aching. Walking though the mists again, she held her head in her hands.

…**_I'm sorry, that was more powerful than even I thought it was going to be… _**Mnementh walked besides her. Iycen had been left behind with the zoids minds, the three of them becoming one. The great dragon zoid seemed to be sluggish, his wings held not as tightly upright as normal.

'_It's okay…' _Leena told him. _'I'll be alright…'_ she paused as the zoid headed off from her, disappearing into the mists. _'Hey, where are you going?'_ She took a few steps towards him…

…**_I'm returning to my own form… _**Mnementh's voice was faint, his image wavering. **_...As must you. Bit Cloud is worried…_**

'_BIT!'_ Leena suddenly remembered him. Reaching out, she seemed to grab a rope out of nowhere, and began to climb upwards. Slowly her vision faded…

"Leena, I love you…" Bit managed to say, before he couldn't take it anymore. _'She's dead!'_ He lowered his head to her still lap and cried.

She had began to feel her body again, the stiffness in her backside telling her how long she had been sitting there, when Leena heard Bits words. Her heart leapt as he began to cry. '_He's in love with me!' _She forced her eyes open, despite them being gummed up. With protesting muscles, she looked down at his head. She could feel his tears soaking though her gown from the healing house to her thighs underneath.

'_Oh Bit…'_ She thought, tears forming in her own eyes as she gentle placed her free hand on his head. Gently she ruffled his blond hair, before gently pulling his head up. His eyes shot open when he saw her face.

"Leena! You're alive!"

"Of course I am," she croaked back. Her throat was as dry as the desert. "They protected me…" She was cut off by Bit throwing his arms round her.

"Don't you ever do that to me again!" Underneath the thin layer of anger in his voice was very real and deep passion and longing. Leena hugged him back just as tightly, one hand snaking up to hold the back of his head. They sat like that for several minutes, clinging to each other.

"I thought I'd lost you forever…" he gasped.

"Hush…" She whispered. "I'm not going anywhere without you…" Leena paused for a second, before deciding to push forward. "…My love…" Bit drew his head back to look her in the eye.

"Oh Leena…" he whispered as he leaned forwards again, but this time he kissed her. The two of them slowly slid down the seats, until they were laid out along them, Leena half below him. They remained locked together at the mouth the whole time, drinking deeper of each others rising passions.

Slowly Bit began to reach down her body, looking for the clasp that held the gown closed. She too was reaching for the fasteners of his clothing. They took a moment to look into each other's eyes, catch their breaths, and savour the moment.

Bit was the first to break the silence. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she breathed huskily, just before their lips met again. As they began to shed each other's clothing, neither turned a thought to where they were…

Mnementh was acutely aware of where they were. He watched the two of them stoke each other's passions. **_…Good thing Chris made sure that those seat covers could be removed… _**He chuckled to himself before directing his attention outwards, shutting down all his internal sensors and locking the canopy controls. The two of them deserved some time alone now. He instead focused on the growing zoid in the pool just before his snout. **_…Grow well, knowing that your mistress has at last found her happiness…_**

X-X-X-X-X-X

On the floor of the sword room, Christian and Susan parted for air. "Chris?" Susan whispered as she settled her head on his shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"Did you know we were watched?"

"Oh yes. Pierce's hair doesn't really hide well at all."

"Well, take a look now."

Slowly the two of them turned so that he could look over his shoulder. On the upper floor they watched Pierce and Jamie locked together at the mouth, their eyes closed tightly.

"I wondered when they'd get together…"

"That's how many couples in this team now? Three?"

"Four. Don't forget Bit and Leena dear."

Susan looked at him questionably. "I thought she was still cut up about her zoid and near death experience?"

"Not the last time I saw her." Christian slowly reached out with his mind. _'Mnementh, you there old buddy?'_

…_**I am always here…**_

'_How's the union going?'_

…**_Which one? The zoids are well on their way… _**The mental equivalent of a chuckle came across loud and clear. **_…As for Leena and Bit… _**Mnementh showed Christian the last scene he had seen before withdrawing.

'_Ah, I see.'_ Christian's face flushed slightly, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Susan. _'You okay with them doing that?'_

…**_Considering you've done 'It' enough like that, with either Susan or Samantha… _**Christian's flushed redder.

"What is he saying?" Susan whispered. Christian pulled himself back from the mental contact.

"Bit and Leena are… getting real close." He told her. "On the back seats." He didn't need to elaborate.

"Ah… I remember those times…" She cooed.

"Let's take this somewhere else…" Christian said, leading her away from the blade room. "And leave our two love birds alone for bit."

"What about the swords?"

"We can pick them up later…"

X-X-X-X-X-X

Slowly Steve, Stoller and Vega walked out of the Museum, each awed with what they had seen. "We have got to bring the whole team down here." Steve said, wonder in his voice. "And we have to see all the sections next time…"

Stoller and Vega nodded in agreement. When they had entered the surprisingly small main hall, they had been confronted by three arched entrances, one each side and the third straight-ahead. Vega had been the first to see the small plaque before them. It showed that the museum was divided into three parts, each detailing one topic. The three of them decided to each try a separate section, and then meet up again at the main entrance later. Vega had taken the hall titled 'Natural History of Earth', while Steve had rushed towards the hall concerning Zoids and the Ancient Zoidians, leaving 'The History of Mankind' for Stoller.

For all three it had been a real eye opener. Vega had found himself awed at the huge bones of creatures that had lived millions of years ago on Earth, and which exactly matched many zoid patterns. A footnote before the exhibits did say that the bones were actually replicas, but none the less the effect was everything that was needed. Vega spent hours wandering though the displays, amazed at the huge range of life that had lived on Earth, before and during man.

But the section he lingered the most in was the section on dinosaurs. In particular he stood before the display on possibly the most famous of them all – Tyrannosaurus Rex. As he looked up at the long dead beasts' skull, he realised why Zoid Eve had chosen such a creature as the model for her most powerful servants. Even the bare bones showed the raw power and brutal nature of the beast, and he gazed in awe at the titan. The secondary displays, such as how the creature might have looked in life, demonstrations of how powerful the jaws really were and such like, thrilled him almost as much. He even spent a little money to purchase a disk packed with all the information there was about this famous creature.

Steve in the meanwhile was goggle-eyed in amazement as he wandered the zoids section. There he learned about types of zoids he had never heard about, and he learned more about the ancient Zoidians in those few hours than he had ever learned in his entire life.

Stoller however had come face to face with the dark side of humanity. The displays ran in a great circle, starting from the oldest known records and traces right the way round though almost fifty thousand years of evolution and history. And for the most part it was not pleasant. It was all there, the terrible atrocities and cruelty that had been mankind's mark on the Earth. The insanity of fundamentalist religion, the horrible cycle of corruption that ran hand in hand with freedom-based governments. The terrible wars that had shaken the world, and the cost, etched there in hard unforgiving stone, so that all future generations could see the cost, and try to work together for peace. Underneath that black stone inscription, an extra line had been added.

'_May we all learn from the mistakes of the past…'_

But beneath the bloodshed and destruction, he could see that man had also done great deeds. Monuments of skill and daring, tales of heroes that rang true even all those years later. The latter displays showed how man had began to grow up and start to right the terrible wrongs it had done, but there was still a long way to go yet.

As they exited the building, the setting sun shone into their eyes, monetarily blinding them. "I think it's time we headed back." Vega said. Despite his youth and the excitement he had felt, tiredness hung in his voice.

"Yes, I think we've had enough sightseeing for one day." Steve commented as they walked back towards the ramp that led to the upper level. He noticed now that there were still a number of small shops on this level, though these tended to be more souvenir shops rather than the type needed day to day by people. For instance there was a jewellery store…

Suddenly he noticed his son Leon walking down the street on the other side. He was about to call out, when Leon stepped into the jewellery store he had noted. _'Now why would he need to…'_ Steve smiled as he remembered the one time he had needed to pay a visit to just such a store…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Some time later on one of the lower levels, Leon and Sarah sat together at one of the open-air restaurants. They had slipped away after the council meeting to explore the city, much like everyone else. On foot it was even more impressive than they had thought. The city seemed to radiant life and goodwill. Now they sat together, having the first private meal they had had in almost a week.

"It's a shame that in few days this city will be a battleground." She murmured quietly.

"Only if they get within the city walls, and somehow with their own forces, Van and Raven plus us and whoever else comes, I don't think Hiltz has a chance."

"I guess…" She still looked downcast.

Leon sat there, watching her. _'God she looks beautiful this evening.'_ For this evening meal out, Sarah had changed into a long dress with sweeping sleeves. The combination of a tight waist with a deep neckline – and an even deeper drop over her back – conspired to show off her splendid figure. Since she had joined the team she had begun to let her hair grow longer, till it now was down to her hips. She had lessened the use of her harsh blue eye shadow, and had begun to experiment with other colour lipstick. Right now she was using a paler, softer blue eye shadow, without any lipstick at all.

Now in the fading evening light, she seemed radiant. During their meal Leon had seen many a head turn to regard her. And it was not just men, but also women, and even a couple of organoids. Leon wasn't sure what was on the minds of the organoids, but frankly he didn't care. The sleeves of her dress were partially transparent, and the candles that had been lit gave her skin a warm glow. _'Who would have thought that Sarah Obscura could become such a vision?' _So lovely was she that Leon didn't realise she was speaking to him for a couple of seconds.

"Huh, what?"

She rolled her eyes. Sarah cared deeply for Leon, but sometimes he proved he was his father's son. So far he had only ever zoned out when looking at her, rather than a zoid model or an actual zoid, and she found that deeply flattering.

"Never mind."

They continued to sit there for who knows how long, drinking in the feelings of peace and serenity that permutated the city. Leon though was doing more drinking than her, since he needed a boost right now. He already had the vital item needed for what he intended to do. He had slipped out earlier to get it from the store he had seen while they had been walking together. Now all he needed was the courage.

He drained his glass before gently setting it on the table. "Sarah?" he said gently, reaching into his pocket.

"Yes?" she turned back to him, one eyebrow raised. In another time such a look would have been filled with ice, but for him it was warm and inviting.

"I well… I wish to ask you something…" He stammered, pulling out what he sought.

"What?" Sarah smiled in amusement. Her face rapidly shifted to shock and awe when he placed a small velvet box on the table between them both. The lid was open, and inside was a gleaming ring.

"Marry me?" He almost whispered.

Sarah's mind seemed to shut down for a second, her eyes taken in by the incredible ring. The main band was silver, with threads of bronze worked into it and encasing the stones. Central to the collection was a smooth round sapphire, bracketed by two hematite stones carved into the form of rounded arrows. Her ears picked up his question however, and slowly she brought her eyes up to look at him. His face was completely open, that of an eager puppy. It took her a minute to get her brain restarted enough for her to answer him.

"Yes…"

Leon's heart went over both moons when she uttered that single word. With tears of joy running down his cheeks, he slipped out of his chair to kneel before her. Plucking the ring from its case, he extended his hand. With tears beginning to run down her face, Sarah gave him her hand. As he slid the ring over her finger, neither of them noticed that the entire restaurant had stopped to watch them both. When they embraced, everyone else broke down into gentle applause.

* * *

**Mooybay: **(sniffles) God, that's so romantic...

**Fiona: **(looks ready to cry) Yes it is...

**Carter: **(Already has tears on face) I wish that would happen to me...

**DR: **Irvine, Van, Jack! Your ladies need some comforting!

**Shadow: **I'm not hanging around! I can't stand crying women! (stalks out)

**DR: **Told you all it was going to be one of those tear jerking chapters. And next time, things heat up, as it's the morning afterwards...


	46. Morning Passions

**DR: **(passes round box of tissues) I hope everyone has access to a cold shower, since this chapter gets a little... hot. Yet another one that pushes the K/M (content rating) boundary (sighs)

**O'Neill: **Hot? (eyes widen)

**DR: **I've tried to write the scenes implicitly, leaving the rest to your fevered imaginations!

**Zeke: **Cool! (grabs popcorn)

**DR: **Oh, we also get a sneak preview of what is heading their way...

* * *

Chapter 46: Morning Passions

Sarah slowly drifted awake the next morning, her mind filled with images from the night before. In sudden fear for her sanity, she looked down at her left hand. The ring Leon had given her was there, gleaming gently in the little light that filtered though the cabins window. Her face crinkled into a joyous smile. _'It wasn't a dream…'_

She looked at the man beneath her. Leon remained asleep, his breathing regular and deep. She could feel one of his arms wrapped round her waist… an after effect of their passion. When they had returned to the Hover Cargo, Sarah had at last felt ready to drop her guard completely. Leon had remained the gentleman, letting her set the pace and temper of their lovemaking. Her recollections of her first time were hazy and indistinct, so last night she had felt that she had finally lost her virginity. Together they had entwined within the sheets, he watching her every action and reaction, learning along with her what she liked.

Sarah flushed bright red at the thought that everyone in the Hover Cargo must have known what the two of them had been up too, so loud had she been. But she couldn't help it; at long last she had been able to release all her pent up desires and cravings. She had been surprised at the level of her own passion; she had never really realised just what she had craved. But once started, she couldn't stop.

She felt Leon stir beneath her, and she looked down into his warm eyes. His hair was mussed up and his face was flushed. Sarah's eyes widened when she saw the mark on the side of his neck…

"Oh Leon, I'm sorry…"

"Sorry for what?" She leaned down to kiss him on the forehead.

"Sorry if I hurt you last night…"

"Don't worry about it…" he started to shrug, but halfway though he winced. During the peaks of her passion, Sarah had dug her nails into her back so hard they had broken the skin. "You really had a lot to work out, didn't you?" he teased.

"Leon!" she scolded him, but softened it with a smile. "Here, let me take a look…"

Slowly he sat up with her. Arranged as they were he ended up with his head resting against her cleavage. Remembering their passion filled night he gently stroked her back again. Sarah quickly began to respond. "Oh Leon…" She gasped. She had been meaning to look at his back, but having his head over her heart had fired her up again, and it had been all she could do to hold his head there. As she felt both their passions rise again, she wiggled herself even closer to him. Leon mumbled something from her chest but she couldn't hear him, so reluctantly she drew his head back so she could look him the eye.

"What did you say?" She asked lustily.

"I said, the others can wait a little longer, don't you think?" He said with a grin as they began to move together again. Her answer was to simply drop her mouth onto his again.

Outside their cabin Vega overheard their words, and he flushed red as he smiled with pride. At last his mother was happy, at ease with a man.

Grinning to himself, he quickly slipped into the shower, wondering where Bit and Leena had gotten to…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Steve slowly sat down with his second coffee, passing mugs to both Brad and Naomi. "So Christian, what is it you wish to talk about?"

Steve had been the first one up that morning, followed closely by the resident two coffee lovers. It had taken a few minutes for Steve to pin down what was different about them both this morning, but he had got it when the two of them kissed deeply. _'Naomi's wearing Brad's necklace!' _He had been so surprised to see it swinging from around her neck he almost spat out his coffee. Before he could say anything though, someone had pressed the buzzer by the external door. Seeing that is was Christian, Steve had let him in.

Christian now sat forward in his seat, watching as Vega walked in, still rubbing his hair dry. Stoller had already come in with him, and was now leaning against one wall. "First, I think I should say congratulations." He faced Brad and Naomi. "Any plans for when yet? Or have you not thought that far ahead?"

The shock that rose on their faces was matched only by the equal shock on Stoller and Vega's faces. "How… how did you know? We haven't even told our team yet!" Naomi stuttered.

Christian produced another of his crafty smiles. "You're wearing Brad's necklace." He nodded towards her. "And I saw the way you two walked back here last night." He winked to them both.

Vega grinned happily while Stoller continued to look stunned. He hadn't noticed at all!

"And while we're on the subject, I should say the same to you." Christian told Steve. "I think you'll soon have both a son and daughter in law, with grandchildren of your own not long after." His smiled widened as he took in the looks of stunned amazement that ran throughout the gathered pilots. Brad and Naomi's jaws dropped rapidly, Stoller was so stunned he almost dropped his cup, while Steve and Vega had looks of awe of their faces.

"What are you talking about?" Pierces voice drifted though as she entered the main cabin, Jamie right behind her. Both still looked sleepy, and her hair was messed up. Jamie in fact looked like he had slept in his clothes.

"Oh nothing, just that Sarah's sporting a new ring…" Pierces jaw fell to the floor at that comment. "…And somehow I think Leena will soon too." It was Jamie's turn to lose control of his lower jaw. Leon and Sarah were not too much of a surprise, but Bit and Leena! The way those two had been over the last couple of months…

"How… How do you know so much about us?" Stoller cried as Pierce groped her way to a spare seat.

"I know almost everything that happens in this city. It's my job to know." Christian shrugged. "As well as keep an eye for anyone who might be working for the Death Saurer. As for you guys… well you're nearly all descended from my friends or myself, so of course I'm going to keep an eye on you. Some closer than others of course." Stoller nodded, not entirely satisfied with the answer but it was enough for now.

Leon and Sarah took that moment to walk in, hands linked together. "Dad, guys…" Leon began. "We've got something to tell you…"

"They already know." Christian interrupted, breaking into gentle laughter at the looks on the couple's faces.

"Is it true?" Pierce cried standing up rapidly. Sarah simply held her hand up, blushing as she did so. Gasps of astonishment resounded around the room as everyone saw the ring on her finger. Pierce rushed over to look at it closer, before throwing herself round Sarah.

"I'm so happy for you!" She cried into Sarah's neck as the older woman returned the hug. Even Stoller felt warm inside his stone heart. Pierce and Sarah were the younger sisters he never had, and Sarah in particular had had a rough life. For her to find happiness, it was the best day of their lives.

"My son…" Steve stood up to hug Leon tightly. He was so damn proud of him! "You've made a fathers dream come true…" Slowly they parted, his face flushed with pride. Suddenly he noticed something, and a slight frown creased his face. "What's that mark on your neck?"

"What mark?" Leon said shakily, his face flushing red rapidly.

Brad chuckled loudly. "Well, well, well, looks like someone's a little rough in bed. I wondered where all the noise came from, 'because it certainly wasn't us." Sarah flushed almost as red as Leon's Blade Liger. She had hoped no one had heard her! But a small fast moving lad – Vega, distracted her.

"Oh mom!" Vega cried as he hugged her tightly. She returned the hug, tears creeping out of her eyes. "I've waited so long for this…"

"You don't mind honey?" She asked him in shock. How could he not fear his mother marrying another man?

Vega smiled at her. "It's long past time you lived for someone other than me."

"Thank you." She gently kissed him on the forehead. Vega turned to Leon.

"Take care of her for me." Leon crouched down to look the young man in the eye.

"I will." He said as the two of them shook hands.

Throughout all these displays Brad, Naomi and Christian had remained seated. Brad stayed partly because it wasn't in nature to jump up at such things, and because he didn't want to leave Naomi's side. Naomi stayed for similar reasons, plus she did not fancy hauling her expanded form upright just now.

And Christian? He knew there would time later to congratulate them both. He had been through this dozens of times before. But even after all those hundreds of years it still brought a tear to his eye.

Slowly the others sat down again, and Steve turned back to him. "So, what was the reason you came over so early?"

Christian sighed and schooled his face. "Well, I've been informed that the fusion of Leena's old zoids is going well. Not sure when the new zoid will be ready, hopefully within the next couple of days.

"I've already made contact with the Empire, the Republic, and the ZBC. So far the response is low. They have to take care of their own people first, just in case Hiltz strikes elsewhere." Just the very mention of his name drained all cheer from the room. "I'd expect him to send small raiding groups all over the planet to spread fear, and get the governments to stick to their own territory."

"So they're not going to help?" Stroller asked downcast.

"I wouldn't say that. The President of the Helic Republic has offered to support our non-combatant population until the current crisis is over. The Empire is willing to send any munitions we need, and their best warrior. And one Class S Team is heading here right now." He smiled again. "I think you know them quite well. It's Derek's 'Raiders' team." The mood brightened again at the mention of the Blitz's long term rivals in Class S.

"But even with them, we're still going to be hard pushed. That's why I have a few more favours to ask of you." Christian took a deep breath. "Naomi, I think I've found the perfect sniping spot for you, but your Gunsniper is not quite up to the job. I'd like you to allow one of the organoids in the City Guard to take a look at it, see what he can do."

Naomi was puzzled, and by the looks on their faces so where the rest of the gathered Blitz. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that maybe, if your Gunsniper has gained enough experience in its primary role – sniping – then he might be able to evolve it to the next level. Much like a Shield Liger evolves into a Blade Liger." Naomi's eyes widened at the thought of such an advance to her zoid.

"Organoids can do that?" Brad asked in amazement.

"Yes, it is one of their basic powers. Each organoid has a particular power as well, be it endurance like Shadow, psychic abilities like Specular, or sheer raw power like Ambient. But all of them can speed up the evolution of a zoid. Sometimes even induce radical changes in the zoids core." The entire team sat back to think about that. None of them had known the power behind such creatures.

Slowly Steve dragged his thoughts away from dreaming about all the wondrous possible zoid configurations that an Organoid could create. "Anything else?"

"Yes, but for that I'll need to ask Bit as well." Suddenly the team realised that Bit and Leena had yet to appear. In fact they hadn't been seen the night before either.

"Say, where are those two?" Leon asked, worried about his little sister. Christian smiled again, a twinkle in his eyes.

"Oh, I know where they are…"

X-X-X-X-X-X

Bit shifted in his half-awake, half-asleep state. His bunk seemed to have changed overnight. It was firm with a heavenly soft and warm cover, but the shape was really odd. There were several funny bumps and ridges now. And there were patches that were much firmer, not as comfortable to his bare skin. Also his sheet must have slipped off, since he could feel air on his bare backside. Feeling around the floor with his arm that was hanging over the edge, he couldn't find it. Sighing, he cranked his eyes open. The cabin was almost pitch black, but there was a faint green glow coming from across the room… and a soft blue glow coming from either side…

'_Wait a minute. Green and blue glows, like console lights? My cabin doesn't have console lights…' _As his eyes began to work again, he could just make out the outline of three seat backs before him, arranged in a triangle… _'Great, I'm dreaming I'm still in that zoids cockpit… WAIT A MINUTE!'_

Bit snapped his eyes wide open as he realised he was not dreaming. _'I AM still in that zoids cockpit!' _Bit rapidly trawled back though his memories, trying to work out how he ended up here, stark naked. _'Last thing I can recall, I was with Leena, and…' _He stopped there, the floodgates opening up and the whole of last night returned to him in a rush._ 'Oh… my… god…'_

In mortal fear of his life, Bit slowly turned his head to the left. He knew now that he lay on her, and they were in the same condition. 'S_he's not going to…' _That thought was stilled though as he finally saw her face, the face of a sleeping red-haired angel. Her hair was splayed around her head like a halo, and her mouth was curved in a smile, the smile of the cat that got the cream.

Bit took stock of his situation. He was lying mostly on her sleeping form. Neither of them were clothed, though her right arm was still in the sleeve of her gown. Bit vaguely recalled them having so much trouble getting her left arm out of the gown in their current positions that they decided not to bother with her right arm. Their legs were intertwined together so well they might as well have been tied together with chains.

Try as he might though Bit couldn't help but grin at the memories of the night of passion they had shared. Who could have known that the fiery redhead, whose temper tantrums were feared throughout Zi, would turn into such a gentle, delicate lover? She had urged him on, not asking for any change in their position or motions. That might have been due to her still being injured, but Bit wasn't sure. As their passions had grown, so had her eagerness to please him. And he had reciprocated those desires. Bit didn't know how many times the two of them had reached the heights of passion last night; it was all one blur. Neither of them had any experience before last night; they had been acting on instinct alone.

He decided to move off her at least, give her some space to breath, but as he began to shift she moaned. "No… stay with me…" Her voice was low, and her eyes remained closed. She was still asleep. Bit didn't want to disappoint her, or do anything to upset her, so he stayed where he was. He looked round for his jacket, anything that he drape across her, but his shirt was lying half on one of the other seats in this set, out of reach.

Bit lay there for who knows how long, taking in every curve, every feature of Leena's sleeping face. He could never have done this while she was awake, as she tended to be a nervous bundle of energy, never sitting still for long. He deliberately kept his eyesight above her neckline, despite being extremely tempted to look down her body. It would be disrespectful. Besides if she caught him doing that… he'd never wake up again.

As the time passed, Bit found it harder and harder not to look down. His hands itched, craving to stroke her soft skin again just like last night. His head began to droop…

"Go ahead…" He snapped his head back up to look at her eyes. Leena's eyelids were half open, and her violet irises seemed to glow in the light. Her skin was flushed, and her mouth was shaped into a smile.

"Leena, you're awake!" Bit gulped.

Leena nodded gently. She had been awake for some time, watching him from underneath her eyelids. At first she had been alarmed at waking up with a large warm mass on her, but then she recalled the pleasure the two of them had experienced. Her brain still tingled from the waves of passion she had felt, and even the feel of his firm body pressed against her was enough to alight her senses again. She had watched him keep his eyes on her face, and while he had studied hers, she had done the same to him. Taking in the way his face had such a manly curve, the way his blond hair fell down from his head. She had fond memories of running her hands though that hair last night. It had been so fine and soft…

Seeing that Bit was terrified, she brought her left hand up to clasp the back of his head. Alarm filled his eyes as she pulled him down. But the alarm faded instantly when her lips touched his. Slowly she drained the terror from his heart, while getting another taste of him in the bargain. Slowly she drew back, letting her head lie back again on the seat.

"Bit, you can look. And touch. No more secrets between us." His eyes lit up, as if saying 'Really, I can?' and her heart melted with love.

Bit allowed his eyes to roam hungrily along her body, drinking in every smooth curve and crease. His free hand followed his eyes, gently moving up and down, as if he was trying to commit every single detail of her body to his memory. "Oh god Leena, you look so wonderful…" She flushed again at his whispered appreciation. She knew she had a stellar body, but hearing it from him…

"So divine…" he continued, his eyes returning to hers.

"Thank you. You're not so bad yourself." She teased him before he pulled her into a hug.

"I love you Leena." He whispered into her ear before kissing it.

"I love you too…" She whispered back.

Outside the cockpit, the rest of the Blitz Team had arrived with Christian. They all stood staring at the still form of the mammoth zoid.

"Your saying they are still in there?" Leon asked a wry smiled forming on his face.

"Last time I checked." _'Hey buddy, they awake yet?'_

…**_Awake, and getting ready to go again… _**Mnementh rumbled gently.

'_Well, you had better stop them before they do, otherwise we'll never get anything done. Besides the doctors want to change her seals…'_

Inside the cockpit Bit and Leena were staring into each other's eyes, their mutual love shining bright. She began to pull his head down again, when they both 'heard' the great zoid speak to them.

…**_I hate to break you two lovebirds up, but the rest of your team is outside, waiting. And Leena's arm and leg needs looking at… _**They both looked at her arm. The hardened gel coating was starting to peal away from her skin at the edges. Flushed with passion, embarrassment and frustration, Bit slowly levered himself up off her.

As she began to pull her robe back on, Leena had a sudden thought. "Do you think they know? About…"

…**_They've worked it out already… _**Leena flushed red again as she scooped up her underwear.

Once they were both presentable, Mnementh unlocked the canopy and raised it. As the edge lifted up, Bit and Leena found themselves face to face with the rest of the team, all of whom smiled broadly with an expression that clearly stated that they knew what they had been up too. Leena felt like sinking though the floor, but there was nowhere to hide.

"Come on now, I think Mnementh wishes to get up and stretch. He's been lying there all night for you two…" At Christians comment they both started. Leena looked about for the stairs that had been provided for her earlier, but they were nowhere in sight. Bit however solved the situation by simply scooping her up in his arms and carrying her out. He was almost as surprised as her that he did that, and to be fair so where the rest of the team.

"So who's turned romantic now?" Brad asked playfully as Bit set Leena down. "By the way, your shirt is done up all wrong." Bit looked down and noticed that too. He flushed an even brighter red.

Leena stepped towards her father, dread coiling around her gut. "Dad, I…"

"Hush…" He gently stepped forward to embrace her. "You're a grown woman, I can't tell you what not to do anymore." He kissed her forehead gently. "As long as you're happy with the choices you make, I'm happy." She looked up at him, tears in her eyes and smile o her lips.

"I am."

Leon stood in front of Bit, his arms crossed over his chest. "So Bit, just how far did you two go?" Bit gulped. What could he say to the older brother of the woman he had just spent the night with? He decided that the best thing was to tell the truth.

"As far as she wanted to go…" It was true; she had never asked him to stop. In fact she had urged him onwards.

"I see…" Leon continued to stand there, looking at Bit critically. His hair was a total mess, his clothes wrinkled and worn wrong. And the looks on their faces when the canopy had opened… Leon knew instinctively how far things had gone between them.

"Hey, what's that on your neck Leon?" Bit suddenly stepped forward to pull at Leon's collar. He tried to evade, but Bit was too fast. "I'll be a… You're a fine one to talk Leon! Looks like you got some action last night yourself!" Bit's grin widened as Leon squirmed, his face flushing red. "Does Sarah know?"

"Of course I do." Sarah chided him as she stepped forward to loop an arm round Leon's neck. "I'm the one responsible for that." Bit was about to reply, but then he noticed the ring on her hand hanging down Leon's chest. His jaw dropped in amazement.

"Well… Leon you sly dog!" He clapped the older man on his arm, while Leena stepped over to have a look for herself. Unnoticed by them all, the huge zoid had slowly gotten up and began to work out all the twinges from his long rest. The great zoid shifted and rolled each segment of his long body, sending ripples running down his entire length and the dorsal spines waving side to side. The huge jaws hinged wide open, and both wings extended to their full extent, almost brushing the ceiling. The motion drew the attention of the Blitz and they watched spell bound as the massive zoid stretched out each limb in turn, before arching his back until his nose almost touched the tip of his tail. With a deep-throated rumble the dragon zoid returned to his normal pose, neck and tail gently curved, wings folded up and held upright.

…**_Ah, that's better…_** The whole team heard the generally broadcast thought, and chuckles floated up.

Stroller now turned to Christian, who had stood to one side throughout. "So, now we're all here, what was it you wanted to ask Bit and Vega about?" He asked in a no-nonsense manner.

Christian smiled sadly. "It's this coming siege that has me worried. I've got the whole city Guard preparing, but I fear we'll need heroes when the time comes. Every hero we have."

Leon frowned. "You're referring to Van and Raven, aren't you?" Christian nodded.

"Their skills are valuable. Having them besides us would be a great benefit." He looked both Vega and Bit in the eye. "That's why I want to borrow your zoids, for a little while."

"What for?" Vega asked, worry in his voice. He had faced losing the Fury before, and he had promised him that he would never allow him to be caged again.

"Nothing harmful, I assure you." Christian smiled. "No, I was thinking more along the lines of extracting a core sample from them both."

"What? Why would you need a core sample?" Bit asked confusion clear in his voice. But it was Sarah who answered his question.

"You're planning on cloning them!" She gasped, shock and awe clear on her face.

"Correct. They are the zoids both of them know intimately. Cloning an Ultimate X level zoid is much harder than a normal zoid, but not impossible. Considering what's likely to be coming our way, I think we'll need all the help we can get."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Hiltz had returned to his small ledge overlooking the cavern, to see the army that Helios had built. His heart beat faster at the sight of it. _'THIS is power! Those fools haven't a clue what real power is.'_

Below him was row after row of Cybrid units, arranged in block of almost one hundred Cybrids apiece. The bulk of the force was made up of the 'Diablo' type, their distinctive form capable of sending chills up any mans spine. Leading each block was a Cerberus, taking up the same amount of space as two smaller Cybrids. The force filled the chamber from one side to the other, and stretched onwards till it became lost in the gloom. The total number must have been in the thousands.

Towards the sides were rows of the old 'Bulldog' type Cybrids, the only Cybrid design that used four legs. Each was a huge block of armour with a massive turret at the rear. They were built to be siege/assault units, capable of battering down any defence. Many were unarmed, gutted of their weapon support systems and turned into heavily armoured carriers. Around the feet of each one of those were a swarm of the miniature versions of the 'Scarab' type, each no larger than a man. Once the walls of the city were breached, the transport dogs would charge in under covering fire, intent on delivering their lethal cargo deep into the heart of the city. Once inside, the Scarabs would be able to hunt down any human who tried to hide within tunnels, buildings or other places were the larger Cybrids could not go. No one was to be spared.

The two sidewalls were now supporting long racks, packed with Land-Skimmers. These aerial Cybrids would hammer the upper regions of the city, keeping the defenders bottled up. Without the shielding system that the land based Cybrids had, the Land-Skimmers replied on speed to evade hostile fire.

Hiltz heard a rumbling behind him. Since the resources in the local area were exhausted, Helios had outfitted his factory with treads and turned the entire base into a mobile fortress. Helios's central processor was in a separate unit, while their secret weapon was almost ready to be released.

'_Not even those ancient guardians can stand before us!'_ After breaking contact with the Arachnotron, Hiltz had looked into the memories he now carried. He now knew all about those ancient zoids, and their pilots. They had stopped him – his master – before many times. They had been the one responsible for the initial downfall! No more. This time, there would be no escape…

Hiltz threw his head back and laughed at the thoughts of seeing that proud city burn, of seeing Fiona weep over the dead body of Van, of watching that bloody Liger Zero turn to stone. He envisioned the death of thousands of people, and he rejoiced. _'Resse, I'll make you squeal for turning against me…'_

"**Hiltz, it's almost time."**

"Good. One thing: I want all those females who are pure zoidian like myself to be left alive."

"**What for?"**

"Why, so the world can be repopulated of course! A new world order, one where _he _is the god, not that weakling Zoid Eve!"

"**I see… I will instruct my units to spare any female Ancient Zoidian they find."**

"Good. Now, shall we go?"

Helios watched as Hiltz turned to head towards the transport Helios had provided. He had no intention of imputing that directive into his units. '_Yes, a new world order will arise, but you won't be a part of it, nor will your pathetic race!' _Hiltz had almost reached the end of his useful life. When the time came, Hiltz would be cast aside like the weak flesh thing he was.

…**_Yes… It's almost time. We are far more alike than that fool Hiltz knows… _**The deep voice drifted into Helios's CPU, like it had done so many times before.

…_**When the time is right, they will all know you for who you really are, and we will rule a pure world as one!

* * *

**_

**O'Neill: **Oh crud.

**Zeke: **You said it.


	47. Reunited & Remembrance

**DR: **Okay, this one is for all you Van/Fiona and Raven/Resse fans out there. And if they seem a little OOC, remember how long it's been since their shows... Oh, and I've taken a couple of liberties with Naomi's background (holds up flame proof shield)...

* * *

Chapter 47: Reunited & Remembrance

Bit watched as the Liger Zero followed the Fury out of the hanger, shaking it's self. **#Am I glad that's over!#**

Bit grinned as the Fury echoed the sentiment. Christian hadn't gone into details, but Bit knew that getting a sample from a zoids core was a tricky procedure, doubly so when you're trying not to kill the zoid in the process. But clearly Christian's people knew they stuff, since both zoids looked fine.

"They're all done?"

Bit turned towards Leena's voice, and for a second gaped in awe. Bit has escorted her to the doctors in the Health Centre while the zoid technicians had sampled both the Liger Zero and the Fury. By the time they had reached the place, the casts on her arm and leg were cracking. The doctor they had been sent to had been most courteous, asking first for her arm. Working gently, the doctor had peeled the flanking cover away. Bit had been unable to prevent himself from gasping in shock. It was the first time he had seen her injuries, and they spoke clearly of how close she had come to death. He noticed that Leena had averted her head too, unwilling to look at the mass of deep, narrow slices in her fair skin. The flesh around each deep cut had been a tender pink, and he had been able to just see that within each cut it had been a raw red. Unfazed by the magnitude of the injuries, the doctor had hummed while prying into it seemed like each wound. He used a fine probe to gently press the tender flesh and test the depth of the cuts.

"Yes, you're healing up nicely. At this rate, these cuts should be closed up within a couple of days. The arm will feel tender for a while after, until your skin hardens again. The muscles appear to be knitting correctly, and all the major blood vessels have closed up. Can't see the bone anymore, which is good." Bit's eyes had widened at that comment. If this was how her arm looked now, how bad had it been when she had been hurt? Images of a shredded arm began to form in his head.

"Now, could you please step outside Mr Cloud? I need to examine her leg, and I expect Ms Toros would like a little privacy."

"No, it's fine." Leena stepped in. "There's no secrets between us." She had looked up at him with love shining in her eyes, and Bit returned the smile.

The Doctor had taken a long look at them both, noting how their faces lit up when they looked at each other. _'Young people…'_ He shook his head gently. "Very well then…" And he began to remove the thigh cast. Bit took a look at her leg, and his grin faltered as his face paled.

"Leena, I think I'll go and check on our zoids…" Her face filled with understanding.

"Of course." Nodding, he had stepped out, but not before catching a glimpse of the deep puncture mark on the inside of her thigh…

Now she stood before him, as feisty as ever. She had been brought some of her own clothes from the Hover Cargo, and she had chosen to wear her battle uniform, since it covered her legs completely. There was a slight bulge over her thigh, and the right forearm had a new coating, but apart from that, she looked as good as she had done before all this madness had started.

"Yea, they're done." Bit said as he stepped over to her and wrapped her in his arms. "How you feeling?"

"Better now…" She gripped him a little tighter. "He gave me a right going over though…"

Bit pulled back a little to look her in the eye. "Why?"

She grinned. "He figured out what we were up to last night. Told me that such antics could ruin my chances of healing right." She rolled her eyes. "I told him we were careful."

Bit grinned as he remembered again the night before. Throughout their passion, Bit had been aware of her injuries and had tried to keep his weight off her right leg and arm. Leena too had been keeping her right side still, only moving her arm gingerly.

"How's my new zoid doing?"

Bit grinned again. "Christian said that it's growing nicely. He said that they couldn't predict exactly when it'll be ready, but he expects within two-three days."

"Two to three days… what are we going to do till then?" she asked playfully.

"Well, we could explore the city. Vega and your dad have been raving about the Museum on the level below. Leon did mention that the rest of the city is even better on foot than it was from the Hover Cargo."

"I'd like that. But I like some more of last night even better…" She growled lustfully.

Bit couldn't help but grin as he flushed slightly. "Leena, we're in the middle of the largest open area of this city! Not to mention its late morning!"

"So?"

"Besides, let's give you some more time to heal, and I need something to eat. Tonight we can play."

"I'll hold you to that promise…"

X-X-X-X-X-X

Naomi looked up fondly at her flaming red Gunsniper. She recalled the day she had got it, seven years ago. It had been her first, and only, zoid. At the time she had little money to her name, so her choice of zoids was limited. In the end she had plumped for the Gunsniper – despite it costing almost her entire fortune – because of the zoids multi-role abilities. While Leena's load out had been an extreme example, many other zoid pilots used their Gunsnipers in similar roles. Unlike other zoids in its class, the Gunsniper was capable of performing many battlefield roles. In many ways, the Gunsniper was the class two version of the Command Wolf, flexible while still more than competent in one area.

First and foremost though, it was a sniper zoid. The high velocity sniper rifle built into the tail was an integral part of the zoid. To replace it was both difficult and expensive, and very few pilots bothered. The zoids compact, bipedal design gave it great advantages in scaling cliffs and reaching vantage points. The smaller size and lower weight allowed it to make use of ledges that no other zoid could use. In the right hands, this lightweight zoid could take down almost any other zoid before they even knew they were there.

True, there were areas where the Gunsniper fell short. Even a Rev Raptor, based on the same creature as the Gunsniper but smaller, could beat one in close combat. Gunsnipers in general failed when it came down to close range fire fights. It was the most common criticism of the type, and many pilots had tried to find a weapons combination that offset this failing. So far none had without affecting the zoids strengths adversely.

In addition, when compared to other zoids, the Gunsniper was a clunker. Its body was made up of boxy sections, and the pivots were clearly defined. The head was little better than a box and the foot lock claws were very squared off. And while Naomi had always liked that compact, no nonsense feel to the zoid, since she had joined the Blitz team her Gunsniper had begun to look more and more old fashioned. Even when she had been in control of her own team with Leon under her, his Blade Liger had always looked far sleeker and meaner than her 'stack of bricks' zoid. When compared to the streamlined Raynos and Storm Sworder, the towering Fury or the solid block of zoid power that was the Elephander, the little red Gunsniper had looked like a frail child's toy. It was why she had agreed to Christian's idea.

Sighing, she turned to look at Christian, and the pale grey organoid standing besides him. "You really think this will work?"

"Pretty sure. You have always used the Gunsniper in its preferred role, and you even spent some of your hard earned cash improving its sniping power." Christian smiled. "Plus you've owned and used this zoid continuously for the past seven years. I would think there's enough experience in there to allow for an evolution. Wouldn't you think so?" the last comment was directed towards the organoid.

The Organoid growled, the translator gem pulsing. **"There's only one way to find out…"** The organoid reared up onto his hind legs, before panels opened out on his back. Hidden jets burst into life, and the organoid rocketed into the air. It growled once more as it turned into a spear of light that curved just before hitting the roof of the chamber before it slammed down into the Gunsnipers back, just between the two back mounted mortar rocket pods. A whine resounded as white light glowed from between each segment of armour and around the pivots.

"Now you don't see that every day…" Brad commented his voice filled with respect, as he looped an arm round Naomi's shoulders. For a few seconds after the light faded nothing happened. Then slowly grey misty streaks began to fade in, swirling round the zoid. The tendrils got thicker and more numerous, until the zoids faded from view.

"It has begun…" Christian breathed as the mists formed an almost solid looking egg, completely encompassing the zoid. "Now all we can do is wait."

Brad looked at Naomi's face as she stared at the smooth ovoid that stood where her zoid had before. A single tear ran down her cheek. He gently pulled her head round, away from the scene. "Come on… let's go find the others…" Behind them, the Organoid began to work; while a short distance away Leena's new zoid along with the cloned Liger Zero and Fury continued to grow…

X-X-X-X-X-X

An hour or so later the entire team sat down for a midday meal. They gathered in one of the open-air restaurants on the fifth level, close to the landing field. Already a number of people had been evacuated to safety, mainly the sick and infirm. Surprisingly there was none of the panic or confusion that the Blitz had expected to see. Everyone was calm and collected, as if their relatives were only going on a holiday. "It's like no one is concerned that this city will be under siege soon." Bit commented around his burger.

"They've probably been told since childhood that this might happen, and how to react if it becomes necessary." Stoller said quietly, eyeing the Hammer Kaisers as they lifted off with the latest batch of evacuees. Each zoid lifted away quietly too, as if nothing and nobody wished to disturb the peace and tranquillity of the city.

As she sat besides Bit, Leena gazed out over the city spread out before her. Her eyes were wide as she took in the sweeping walls, the winding waterways, the swaths of green mixed in with the pale stone and metalwork. "I never knew this place was so big…" She breathed.

Around the three tables the Blitz had pushed together chuckles rose, bringing her eyes back inwards to her family and friends. Who could have known that things would turn out like this? That these people would be sat together, laughing and talking at ease, as friends, team-mates, even some as lovers? Leon sat with Sarah at his side, the two of them acting like star crossed lovers, her ring gleaming in the light. Brad and Naomi also sat together, she resting against him to ease her lower back. Now almost five months pregnant, Naomi had to take it easy more and more, as her daughter grew.

Stoller sat at one end, slight separate from the rest; watching everyone with his cool, grey eyes over his plate. Vega stayed close to his mother, a smile on his face and joy in his eyes every time he glanced at her and Leon. Steve was also a little off to one side, beaming with pride at both Leena and her brother. Finally Jamie and Pierce sat side by side, exchanging looks when they thought no-one was watching, their arms resting together.

And Bit? He sat besides Leena, one arm around her waist. Leena allowed her head to rest on his strong shoulder, drawing strength from his presence. At last she felt at peace with herself, and she could look around without feeling the need to compare herself with everyone else. Bit, the massive zoid Mnementh, even her old zoids had shown her that. So what if Naomi could hold her temper in check better or that Sarah had that tall, slim physique that could wear fashions that Leena's slightly shorter and more voluptuous figure couldn't. So what if Pierce was possibly the best flyer in the world, and who cared if the other three women's hair stayed straight and didn't clump together like hers. Leena was herself, and she was just as desirable and attractive as they were.

Leena breathed deeply of the crisp mountain air, tasting the smells of good food and mountain plants. She listened to the gentle sounds of the city, the sound of water cascading off rocks, the whispering of the wind. The whole city felt alive, a wellspring of life and hope.

As they sat and ate, the team exchanged their views on the city. Leon and Sarah had already explored a lot of the city in brief the day before, but they had not lingered anywhere long. Steve, Vega and Stoller extolled the virtues of the Museum, while Brad and Naomi talked about the lovely mountain walk they had taken. Jamie and Pierce talked a little about the mansion they had explored, but Leena noticed that they paused at one point, looked at each other, then carried on. Clearly they were not telling everything that had happened, but she could guess. She had seen the way the two of them looked at each other. She had been in their place all too recently herself. _'Looks like our Wild Eagle has found himself a mate…'_

The faint whine of an approaching Hammer Kaiser's engines could be heard, and Leena turned her head to watch the transport land. But when she saw the royal blue with silver trim zoid, she sat more upright.

"Hey guys. Derek's team is here!"

The Blitz Team as one sat more upright as the main ramp of the Hammer Kaiser dropped, and a figure walked down it. Even at that distance, the stride was unmistakeable.

Derek Calisto smiled when he saw the gathered Blitz Team. As he walked over to meet them, an almost deafening bellow filled the air, causing a number of people to look up while covering their ears.

…**_Welcome home…_** The wisdom filled words filled his head as the roar filled his ears. Looking over his shoulder, Derek was not surprised to see the massive blue form of Mnementh standing on the parapet of the upper level. He was filled with as much power and majesty as Derek remembered, the sunlight highlighting every segment of his curved armour plating, and all the gold shone brilliantly.

Leena watched as Derek looked up at the huge zoid, before shaking his head and turning back to face them. "I had hoped to slip in without being noticed. Give the old man a surprise."

"No chance of that, young lad." Christian's voice came out from behind a nearby hedge, startling everyone. He stood up to face them all. "I already knew when roughly you'd get here, so I decided to wait here."

"Darn it, can't I ever do anything without you knowing about it?" Derek's smile took the sting out of his words however.

"Sure. Whatever you and your wife do alone together…" Christian grinned before stepping forward to give the younger man a back slapping hug. "It's great to see you again."

"Likewise."

As they stood together, Leena noticed how similar the two men looked. They were of similar height and build, though Derek was slightly slimmer and didn't quite have that compact form of the older man. Their faces were cut in a similar style too, though Derek's was softer, more rounded. The only really difference between them was their hair, Derek's steel grey at odds with Christians dark brown.

Stoller was the first to voice what they were all thinking. "Let me guess. You two are related?"

Christian smiled easily. "Got it in one. Derek here is the closest thing I have to a direct male descendent."

Soon the other members of the Raiders walked over, Anna taking her place at Derek's side. Naomi noticed that she seemed to have put on weight since she last saw her. "You okay?"

Anna smiled warmly. "Oh nothing… just our third child." She said as Nicholas stepped up to his father's free side, while a girl a couple of years younger than him wrapped her arms round Anna's waist. The young girl's hair was a dead match for Anna's.

"Another one?" Christian shook his head gently, a warm smile on his face. "At this rate every second person on the whole planet will be related to me in some way or another. Congratulations." The Blitz echoed his compliment.

"Thanks." Derek said simply, a slight flush on his face. His wife blushed more fiercely. As they sat down at some free chairs, Derek spied something gleaming on Sarah's finger. "Is that what I think it is?" He asked, nodding towards her hand.

Sarah beamed with pride. "It is…"

"Oh my!" Anna gasped, as she looked closer at Sarah's ring. "It's wonderful! You're so lucky!" Sarah could only blush in reply as the rest of the Raiders walked over.

X-X-X-X-X-X

While the two teams talked together and ate, higher up on the mountain two men were getting ready for their return to battle. In his cottage, Van slowly pulled his old uniform out of its cover. Holding it up to the light, he inspected it carefully. At first glance it looked like that it had survived the ravages of time well, but a closer look showed that the fabric had all but lost its strength. Even just lifting it out of the closet had strained the material over the shoulders.

"I remember that uniform. You looked so dashing and handsome."

Van grinned at Fiona where she stood in the doorway, dressed in her silk gown, her long blonde hair still damp from her shower. Like nearly all her clothes, the gown was pink with a cream sash around her waist. Van was struck by how beautiful she looked just standing there, leaning on the doorframe. The sunlight played across her slim figure, sending sliver streamers though her hair and showing off her skins still smooth complexion. Over the years that they had been married Fiona had slowly loosened up about her appearance, becoming more confident about her self. She had eventually started to wear clothing that really set off her stunning figure, clothing that set his blood afire with passion and pride.

The truth was he had always loved the way she looked, even when dressed in the frumpiest clothing she had. For while after first being selected to council she had been wearing conservative clothing, hiding her splendid figure with its sumptuous curves. But as she had grown easy with her new role she had loosened up again.

"And how do I look now, over a hundred years older?" He teased her, puffing out his chest and assuming a heroic pose. Unfortunately such a pose doesn't work so well when all one is wearing is a towel.

Fiona managed to only smile sweetly at the ridiculous posture. "Just as good…"

Van dropped his face on purpose "Only 'Just as good'?"

Fiona burst out laughing as she stepped up closer to him. "Of course, since you were already perfection before…" She growled lustily, tracing the shape of his chest muscles with one finger.

Smiling happily, Van dropped his head to kiss her. Once again they both renewed their eternal passion and love for one another, both luxuriating on the feel of the others lips on theirs. Van drew her into a hug, and she returned the favour, wrapping her arms round him tightly. He could feel the smooth curves of her wondrous body through the thin silk gown, and she revelled in the firm musculature within his powerful frame.

Slowly their lips parted, and they rested their foreheads together. "Van… I'm worried." She sighed.

"What about, Fiona love?"

Slowly Fiona tilted her head back enough to look him in the eye. "It's this coming battle. We can't escape it, and it won't be like anything we've seen before. And with Hiltz leading them…" She shuddered in his arms.

"He won't get you…" Van comforted her. "We beat him before, when he was part of the Death Saurer, remember? So this time he has an army of walking tin cans instead. With me and Raven, the Blitz, and Christian's people, we'll kick his ass for sure!"

Fiona's crimson eyes widened slightly as a tear began to form in the corner of one. "Oh Van… what if he comes back again?"

"He won't. Not this time!" Van slowly peeled her gown from her shoulders, before gently laying her back onto the bed, stepping over the silk puddle of her gown and sweeping his old uniform out of the way as he did so. His towel fell round his ankles as he laid himself down with her. Unnoticed by either of them, the old uniform had split in places during the motion.

"We'll never be separated Fiona, my love…"

X-X-X-X-X-X

Along the path in the second cottage, Raven stared critically at his old uniform, seeing all the same sighs of age that Van had seen on his. While he had never really been part of a military organisation like Van had, he had worn the same basic outfit all the time. His body conforming purple and black suit had become all but his defining clothing of choice. Like Van he had hung it up for the last time over a hundred years ago, with no intention of ever putting it back on. To him, it represented his old life. That of Raven the Maverick, Raven the Destroyer. The harsh lines and brooding colour was an almost perfect match for his state of mind at the time.

Now he was preparing to return to that persona. Seeing Hiltz alive again, when by all accounts he should be dead, had re-ignited his darker traits and desires. He had remained in his home since the news, unwilling to subject anyone to his foul mood. Raven knew the years had softened him, and he did not regret that one bit. The life he had built with Resse… he didn't want to lose that.

He faintly heard Resse's footsteps behind him. It had taken him a few years, but he had learned to listen for her soft footfalls. Most people would never have heard her at all, so quietly did she move. It gave him a small measure of pride that he was one of the few who knew when his wife was around.

Slowly Resse laid a hand on his shoulder as she looked at his uniform. "It never ends, does it? Our past always catches up to us, in the end…"

Raven slowly turned his head to look at her at the sob in her voice. Her large liquid eyes were filled with sadness, tears in the corners. He knew that she too feared the end of the peaceful, happy life they had built here. Christian had had this home built for them, slightly separated from the rest of the city, knowing they both desired privacy. Van and Fiona lived a short walk away, with the next nearest being Christian himself. Apart from them, Raven and Resse had little contact with the city at first. Over the years though they had slowly ventured out more, until at last they felt comfortable walking the streets.

It had surprise him immensely that when he first got here, no one remarked on or held against him his destructive past, or Resse's habit of enslaving others to do her will. The only thing these people had been concerned about was that he had stood before the Death Saurer, and been instrumental in bringing the monster down.

Indeed, he had been treated as a hero, something that at first didn't sit to well with him, but in the end he got used to it. Van was the hero type, while Raven had simply been getting his revenge. What was most surprising was that both of them were approached with offers of becoming zoid instructors, teaching the younger generations how to really pilot zoids. Raven had at first not been going to accept, but after a night thinking about it while watching the stars though the telescope built to the rear of their home, he had decided to play along.

To his surprise he had actually enjoyed himself, showing those young people, mostly boys but a few girls, how to really use a biped zoid. He specialised with a Genosaurer, but he could handle any biped almost as good, and was considered 'Master' with any other zoid. Van had been a king of the Ligers, notoriously difficult zoids to get the best out of, while he was also rated 'Master' with anything else.

Like Van, he had taught his children personally. Raven would never forget the day when he became a father for the first time, and he knew the same day was engraved on Resse's mind too. To hold in his arms a life that he had helped create, when before all he had done was take life… it was a remarkable experience.

But now, all that was threatened, because that bastard Hiltz refused to stay dead! When he had heard that voice, he had felt a shaft of ice run right up his spine, chilling him to the bone. And when Hiltz had told them what he had planed for Resse…

Raven gently turned to face her, drawing her round with his free hand. "He won't get you, this I swear." Resse turned her sea green eyes up to his cold amethyst ones, a slight smile on her lips.

"To get me, he'll have to pry me out from your arms…" Her voice was filled with false bravo.

Raven gently pulled her head to him, kissing her on the forehead. "It won't come to that." He looked down at her. "What's this?" he asked, tapping the slim box she held under one arm. The cardboard was almost brittle, and looked like it had been sitting somewhere for decades. A thick layer of dust coated the top.

Wordlessly she brought the box out from under her arm before pulling the lid off. Raven's eyes narrowed as he recognised the contents. It was the tight bodysuit she had worn during those last few weeks of the events leading up to the climatic fight with the Death Saurer. It had also been what she had worn when Ambient had attacked her. The limbs were folded underneath the body, and the slashes and old bloodstains were clear to see. He looked up into her eyes.

Resse shrugged. "I thought I might wear this again, as a kind of slap in his face…"

"You will not wear this again. It's too far gone to be worn, not to mention the damage from Ambient." He looked her up and down. "Besides, you'd never fit into it anymore." He teased.

"Raven!" She fired back, her old fire returning. But she did have to admit that he was right. During the couple of years after her attack, combined with having children, her figure had filled out a bit, especially in the bust. When she had last worn the body suit, she had been quite flat in the chest. Now with an expanded bosom and wider hips, she would never fit into the old thing. Not that she minded at all the changes that had overcome her body. They made her feel more of a woman than she had before.

Raven gently removed the box from her hands. "We'll get a new, tailor made version made, along with a new version of my old uniform." Setting the old box down on their dresser, he stepped close to her. Cupping her cheeks in his hands, he brought her chin up.

"Don't worry. You know me, too stubborn to just roll over and die because he says so." Laughter filled her eyes again as they kissed slowly, almost tentatively. While they never had the great external outpouring of emotion that Van and Fiona shared, the two of them loved each other just as deeply. Together they lay down on the bed Vega had seen from his insight into the Fury's memories…

* * *

**Shadow: **Yo, go Raven!

**Specular: **What the... Get your...

**DR: **(waves Writers Magic Wand™. Specular's mouth clamps shut)

**Specular: **(Mumbled)Mmmm mmm mmm!

**DR: **Don't interrupt true love... Anyway, that's all for now. Next time we meet the last of our cast of heroes, and we learn something new about Leena's new zoid...


	48. The Last Recruit

Chapter 48: The Last Recruit

True to his word, Bit and Leena spent that night together, locked in their passionate embrace. Neither of them wanted to think about what was coming, and so their passion had a sense of urgency, as if their time together was somehow limited. The other couples within the Blitz felt the same way, and they clung together just as tightly. None of them would speak about what they all knew was ahead, but it was there in every embrace and kiss. They all feared that their loved ones would not return.

Throughout the city the people prepared for a siege. Any crop that could be harvested was, and the remaining farmers came within the cities walls. Provisions were laid in storerooms, and all the micro-hospitals stocked up on fast acting drugs and first-aid equipment. The shutters that were fitted to every window of every building were oiled, and the City Guard precincts became hives of activity. The zoid hangers slowly filled up with zoids being refitted with weapons in place of their tools and law enforcement equipment, while every person who volunteered to help defend the city was issued with body armour and helmet. Stores of firearms were unlocked, and valuables were put into storage.

The day after Derek arrived a blood red Whale King came in, its flanks emblazoned with the markings of the Guylos Empire. As it settled down on the landing field, only two people stood waiting for its cargo. Since they could not produce certain types of munitions themselves, Christian had asked for a shipment from the Guylos Emperor. He had sent them without question or complaint, along with his best warrior. He could not spare any more warriors since the Empires army was at an all time low, his way of reducing taxes on his people. Besides with peace between the Empire and the Helic Republic, there was no reason to keep a large standing army. Although in times of war he could call up a vast number of people to serve, the professional force was tiny compared to how it had been even a hundred years ago.

Raven stood besides Christian, because the pilot who had been sent was one who had come from their city in the first place. And was of special significance to him.

As they watched the mouth of the Whale King yawned open, and even before the ramp was fully down a zoid began to stroll down it. The Genosaurer reminded Raven very much of his resurrected one all those years ago, except that the colours were reversed. The armour was blood red like the Whale King, while the neck and other parts were jet black.

With a deliberate, measured pace the zoid walked over to where the two men stood, while behind it a Gustav began to haul a string of containers out of the transport. When the Genosaurer stopped the head pitched down to look at them both.

"Permission to enter your city?" The cultured female voice asked over the external speakers.

"Permission granted." Christian called back. The chest of the Genosaurer hinged open, and with a hiss the cockpit seat was extended down to ground level. Once it was low enough the pilot leapt gracefully off to land on her feet. Slipping off her comm headset she confidently stepped over to the two men.

The woman before them was thin and sharp featured, with a rangy stride and a cold expression that could have been cut from ice. Her hair was cut just above her shoulders, and was a few shades lighter in colour than Ravens. Her large eyes were sea green, and held a coldness that brooked no arguments. She wore the purple uniform of an Imperial captain, complete with the peaked cap held down tightly over her hair and sidearm at her right waist. Over her left breast a row of medals and decorations hung, most prominent of which was the Imperial Star Cluster, one of the highest awards for combined skill and daring. She snapped to attention before Raven.

"Raven…" She said formally, a twinkle appearing in her eyes.

"Cassandra…" He replied in an equally formal tone, looking her over carefully. From her black knee length boots to the top of her cap, she was impeccably turned out. "They treating you well back in the Empire?"

"Now they are, since I kicked all the other officers ass's in the latest tournament." Despite her attempts to remain neutral and cold, a slight flush touched her cheeks and her voice held a note of pride.

"Good. We can't have the Imperial officer core getting soft." Raven was now struggling to hold back his grin of pride. "I see you made Captain."

"Last month. Youngest ever, male or female."

Raven nodded, before at last letting his emotions free. He opened his arms, which had been folded across his chest. Cassandra abandoned her ramrod straight pose to embrace him.

"Raven…" Her voice had lost all her previous coldness and was now filled with warmth.

"Cassie…" Raven too had dropped all pretence and held her tightly. After a few moments they parted. "Haven't you forgotten somebody?" He asked a touch of humour in his voice.

Her face flushed a touch redder this time. "Oh!" She whirled to face Christian, who was stood to one side, one of his trademark one-sided smiles on his face. "Uncle Chris!" She cried as they embraced. In truth he was not her uncle by a long shot, but she had grown up with him in that role, along with Van and Mnementh.

"Good to see you too. And just look at you!" Christian stepped back to look her over. "Thirty-three, and already a Captain! You look just like Resse did before she came here, except for the hair." It was true; Cassandra was practically the splitting image of Resse before she met Raven. The only differences were the hair colour and the sharper jaw line she had inherited from Raven. "How long has it been?"

"Sixteen years."

Christian shook his head. "Sixteen years. Seems that only yesterday you were a bouncy five-year old begging your great, great, great grandfather if you could play with his zoid. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you again."

Her eyes lit up. "Shadows here? He's been found?" It had been shortly after the event Christian had mentioned that Shadow – the Fury – had disappeared. Only later had the evidence of a struggle, and the encasement of the zoid, had been found. The disappearance of the zoid had affected Cassandra almost as badly as it had affected Raven himself.

"Found and released almost nine months ago. Though he did almost go crazy, hence the name he now has, Berserker Fury. But he's okay now."

Cassie frowned as she thought back. "I recall hearing that name before, but I can't remember where…"

"Well, you missed out on one of the best fights the ZBC ever covered. It must have been an equal to one of Ravens old fights with Van Flyheight." Christian smiled gently. "Why don't you bring your zoid up to the top level and catch up? We've got a lot of guests here…"

X-X-X-X-X-X

Naomi and Leena stood together in the huge bay where their zoids were growing, Naomi staring at the smooth grey ovoid that encased her Gunsniper, Leena peering though the porthole into the central zoid pool, trying to get a glimpse of her new zoid. The rest of the team were trying a course that Christian had shown them to, to allow him to measure exactly just how good each pilot was. With both their zoids currently out of action, neither of them could partake in the tests.

Sighing, as she once again was unable to make out any discernable shape within the murky liquid, Leena turned to face Naomi. The older woman stood to one side, her eyes locked onto the grey shape. One hand rested on top of her expanded belly, the other tucked underneath. Everyone in the team knew that she would not be able to compete much longer, for soon her condition would make it impossible to operate a zoid with any degree of control. She had talked things over with Brad and Sarah, and Naomi would drop out of battling for the last two months of her pregnancy, and for a month after birth. She would then return to battle. Since their battles were only every couple of days, rarely more than two a week, she'd have plenty of time to bond with her child.

Leena stepped up besides her and looked at the grey ovoid along with her. There was no way of telling exactly what was going on inside that smooth shell… just like there was no way for her to know what was happening in the zoid pool.

"Guess we're both waiting for our zoids to be born again." Naomi joked lightly, smiling at Leena. Leena smiled back, aware of the double meaning of Naomi's statement.

"Na, I've been meaning to ask you something…" Leena hesitated, not sure how to put her question. "Do you think you're ready? To have this child?"

Naomi sighed as she eased herself into a chair. "I don't think you can ever be truly ready." She gently stroked her belly absentmindedly.

"I know you didn't plan on getting knocked up, but tell me, how did you feel?" Leena sat down besides Naomi, who looked at her quizzically.

"Well, it was certainly a shock when Sarah told me that she thought I was pregnant. But I have to admit, when she suggested that, I felt such a mixture of emotions… Fear, awe, and joy." Naomi looked closely at the younger woman. "Why the sudden interest?"

"Oh… Nothing." Leena said, turning her head away to look again at the pools. Too quickly in Naomi's opinion.

"You're not pregnant yourself are you? I know you and Bit have been at it these last couple of days…"

Leena's head snapped back. "NO I AM NOT!" She snarled, a small fragment of her psychotic side coming out. "At least, not yet…" she added almost to herself.

Naomi now understood Leena's state of mind. "You're wondering if it's time that you consider motherhood." She said gently.

Leena slowly nodded. "Don't get me wrong, Bit is great…" She grinned happily. "But somehow I get the feeling something's missing…"

Naomi looked closely at the young redhead. "Tell me… was it your first time the other night, with Bit in here?"

Leena blushed bright red, and could only nod. She looked so retched that Naomi put an arm round her shoulders.

"I felt the same way myself, after my first night. It's all a part of growing up. Leena…" She gently pulled the younger woman's chin up so she could look into her violet eyes. "You'll know when the time is right."

"But you said before…"

"I know. But there is something else, something I didn't mention before." Naomi looked down briefly. "That first night with Brad, I felt completely at peace with myself. I had at last found a man who wanted me, not 'Naomi Fluegel Leader of the Fluegel Team' or whatever labels people attach to me." Leena nodded, recognising the same feelings that she had had the morning after her first night with Bit.

"Had Brad asked me to have his child that night, I would have never let him leave the bed until I was carrying." Naomi smiled again. "As things turned out, he didn't ask, but I ended up carrying his child anyway." They both laughed together at the irony of the situation. After a few minutes, Leena sighed and turned away.

"Naomi, I… just thought you should know." She almost whispered. "I'm… sorry for everything I said to you… over the last couple of years…"

Naomi's eyed widened as she gazed at the younger woman. What had happened to Leena, the fieriest person on the whole planet? Who was this person, who had her voice and face?

"Recently, I've been… reconsidering my life." Leena continued, struggling to find the right words. "And I realised… I've never been truly fair to you. You have real skill and talent. My only talent is mass destruction."

"That's not true…" Naomi told her, pulling Leena into a hug. "You're just as good as any of us. You're inventive, and you never quit. At least until now…" A spark returned to Leena's eye, warning Naomi that her fiery temper was still there.

"Don't worry about it Leena. Everyone in the team likes you, and most love you. Surely if Bit Cloud loves you, then you're worth it."

Leena returned the hug tightly, tears in the corner of her eyes. "Thanks for the vote of confidence." Naomi just smiled and patted her on the back. As they drew back a commotion back in the main hanger began.

"Sounds like the others are back." Naomi smiled, heaving her-self upright. "Why don't we see how they did?"

Smiling happily, Leena followed her away from the growing zoids, eager to see Bit again.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Some time later Christian stood before the zoid pools, his arms folded over his chest as he stared at the central pool. It was late and most of the technicians had gone home to their loved ones. All the stored zoids were ready for the coming siege, all that was left was to crack open the oldest vault and bring out the HERCs. Due to the power of those units, he had had them stored in the most secure vault of all. He had hoped to never have to open that one.

But he had to now. He knew, deep in his bones, that Hiltz and his Cybrid allies were coming here, possibly with the Death Saurer as well. They would need all the firepower they had to defeat such a force. Including the zoids that were nearing full growth in the pools before him. He had arranged for an extra special 'rich' mixture of zoid fluid to be pumped into the pools, greatly increasing the rate of growth. Glancing at the grey ovoid that contained Naomi's Gunsniper he smiled slightly…

"Something amusing?" Fiona's voice drifted from the rear of the chamber. Christian turned to look back at her. One eyebrow rose rapidly as she approached.

"I thought that uniform was too old to be worn anymore… new version?"

"It seemed the most appropriate, considering what's coming." Like her husband Van, along with Raven and Resse, Fiona had pulled her old Guardian Force uniform out of the cupboard. And just like the others, it had decayed with age. So the four of them had sent the old clothing to one of the few remaining quality tailors in the city, asking for a new set of clothes to match the old. Since he had done nearly all their clothes in the past couple of dozen years, he knew their measurements off by heart. Using the finest fabrics, he had recreated their old uniforms from their heyday, suitably altered to fit the subtle changes their bodies had undergone after a hundred and sixty years.

Fiona now stood before him like she had done all those years ago. Her hair was tied back into a single ponytail that hung down her back, revealing her jaw line and the thinness of her neck. Two thick strands hung free though, just masking the turquoise markings on her forehead and framing her scarlet eyes, which were filled with determination and confidence. Despite the physical changes left on her by motherhood and her hair starting to turn silvery, she looked almost exactly like she had all those years ago.

'_No wonder Van called it her "Hot pants fighting dress."'_ Christian thought, as he looked her over. The dress clung to her skin, flaring over her arms and following ever curve of her torso. The cut of the top seemed to have been made to empathise her bosom, while the missing sections that ran over each shoulder showed off her smooth pale skin.

"How are they doing?" She asked as she stepped up besides him, her eyes wandering across the three tanks and the encased zoid.

Christian turned to regard the zoids. "The Gunsniper's evolution should be complete sometime late next morning." He waved towards the two outermost pools. "The Liger Zero and Fury's clones around noon, at their current growth rate. Mnementh has already linked with their minds, and has made a few tweaks."

"Tweaks?" Fiona's eyebrow rose along with her question.

"He altered the mindset of the two, slanting them so that they'll be more like the organoids they were, rather than the zoids." when the organoids had permanently fused with both zoids, the personality of the new zoid had been a fusion of the personalities of both the zoid and the organoid. While the Fury had been kind of like Shadow had been, the personality shift in the Liger Zero had been more pronounced. Neither Van nor Fiona had been able to be entirely comfortable with the new 'Zeke', part of the reason they had let him go off and be traded around, looking for his perfect partner. They were overjoyed when he did find such a pilot in Bit, their closet direct male descendent.

"And your project? Leena's new zoid?"

Christian smiled again. Fiona stepped back, for it was another one of his 'special' smiles, mixed with humour. "Oh, the zoid is growing well. Why don't you take a look?"

He punched a key on the console he had been leaning against. The main display blanked, before a three-dimensional holographic image of the contents of the zoid pool formed above it. At first it was a solid block, but as the array of sensors began to scan the pool, the block was slowly eaten away to reveal the growing zoid within. It still had parts missing, mainly the armour panels that would coat it, but the zoid was clearly nearing completion. All ready the basic structure was complete, and most of the weapons could be seen. When at last the scan was over, the computer overlaid the image with, amongst other things, a scale. Fiona's jaw dropped in shock as she took in all the details.

"I think I _might_ have underestimated the power output of the new zoids core…"

X-X-X-X-X-X

That night, Leena lay awake in Bit's arms, her fingers idly playing with her new necklace. Christian's estimate of when her new zoid was going to be ready was tomorrow, and Leena had a deep-seated coil of dread in her gut. Had it worked? Would the new zoid accept her? Would it even be a zoid, and not a mewling amalgamation of zoid parts, unusable and hideous to look at? She couldn't think how such two radically different zoid could combine and create a form that fitted both mindsets.

Bit was aware that she was not sleeping, and he suspected that he knew the reason. "Nervous about tomorrow?" He asked quietly.

Leena turned her head up to his, meeting his eyes. "A little. I mean, how will this all turn out? What will the result look like?"

"They know what they are doing love. Christian was pretty confident that he could get it to work successfully. If he oversaw the creation of both the Liger Zero and the Fury, then surely he knows his stuff."

Leena sighed as she rested her chin on his chest. "Maybe…"

"Hey…" Bit pulled her to him by the shoulders. "It'll be fine. By this time tomorrow I'll have to drag you away from that zoid…" He grinned as she narrowed her eyes at him, before dropping down for a kiss. Rolling together, the two of them gently began to rededicate their passions for each other, Leena at last able to take her mind off what was in store for her tomorrow…


	49. Zoids Reborn

**DR: **As it's Christmas Eve, here's my present for all you lucky people.

**Zeke: **Wait, isn't this the chapter when we see Leena's new zoid?

**DR: **Correct. I know everyone's been waiting with baited breath...

**O'Neill: **Cool!

* * *

Chapter 49: Zoids Reborn

As they had for the last couple of days, the Blitz Team joined Christian at his home for breakfast. His table was laid with plenty of good, honestly cooked food. Eggs, bacon, toast… everything anyone could possible want was there. And none of it had that greasy taste that came from fast food places. This may have been a traditional, non-weight watching breakfast, but it was certainly better for you than the stuff turned out by company run kitchens.

As the Blitz approached the outdoor table, they saw they were not the only guests. The distinctive hair colours showed that Van, Raven, Fiona and Resse already sat there. Van stood up to greet them.

"Great start to the day, don't you think?" He grinned. Bit couldn't help but grin along with him.

"Yea. And you clearly went to an effort too!" Van had not only donned his new uniform, but he had combed his hair back and shaved. The top half of his uniform fitted him snugly, and it was clear to all why Fiona had fallen for him. The muscles in his arms and torso stood out proudly, and his heroic pose worked far more effectively now than it had before with Fiona. With only one exception, everyone who saw it was impressed.

"Van, knock it off." Raven called across the table. As the Blitz turned to regard him, they saw that he too had received a new set of clothes. The effect was uncanny. Although they had all seen and talked to him before, now he was wearing that dark purple and grey uniform, with its harsh lines and metallic shoulder pads, he seemed much more distant and cold. In contrast Resse's bodysuit had not a single hard edge anywhere on it. Like Fiona's clothing it started high on her neck and encased her entire body in a skin hugging dark blue coating.

"Now that Van's finished showing off, can we eat?" The young female voice, filled with discipline, cut across the low chuckles that Ravens comment had started. The Blitz refocused on the young woman sitting on Ravens free side. At once they all knew to take this one seriously. Her Imperial uniform seemed to have been moulded to fit her, and her raven-coloured hair was pulled back in a tight and severe hairstyle. Her sea-green eyes swept over each and every one of them coolly and without hurry.

Stoller was startled when their eyes met. She paused for a fraction of a second, her eyes widening slightly, before carrying on with her sweep. Stoller felt unsettled somehow. During that brief contact, he had felt something in his chest pulse. This woman clearly had skill and discipline, two traits that he had always admired. He felt a sudden yeaning to understand this person better, something new to him since he had always made a point of standing back and watching from a distance.

"Members of the Blitz Team, meet Captain Cassandra Cortez, the youngest ever Captain in the Imperial Army of Guylos." Christian introduced her, a smile on his face. He had seen her pause on Stoller. "Cassie, may I introduce the Blitz Team members. Steve Toros, Leon Toros, Sarah Obscura, Vega Obscura, Bit Cloud, Leena Toros, Naomi Fluegel, Brad Hunter, Jamie Hemeros, Pierce, and Stigma Stoller." He gestured to each member in turn.

"Delighted." Cassandra said formally, keeping control of her voice but found her eyes flicking back to Stoller. There was something about him that intrigued her. In some respects he resembled the Raven of old, hanging back from the others with that stern expression… She was interrupted by the arrival of the food.

For the next hour the gathered pilots ate and talked, the discussion centred on the growing zoids below. Part way though two men joined the gathering. Christian greeted each one with a handshake and back slapping hug, before introducing them to the Blitz.

"These two are the remaining members of my team; Carlos Duran, and Terry Marx."

Carlos was tall and very broad shouldered, seeming to be an almost solid block of flesh. His black hair bristled up from the top of his head, and his arms were those of a serious weight lifter. The thick bushy beard on his chin matched the hair that almost covered his arms, and his chequered shirt was worn open collared. Terry was almost the exact opposite, tall and slender, his pale brown hair curling down to his thin shoulders. They were both dressed in rough clothing that had seen a lot of use, and their boots were scuffed and marked.

As they sat down to eat as well, Bit turned to them both. "So can I ask, where have you two been? We've haven't seen any sign of you before." Pierce and Jamie looked at each other, recalling some of the photos in the mansion. One in particular stood out: Christian, flanked by Susan and Samantha, with these men on one side seemingly trying to climb over each other to get in the shot, while the other side had a small, compact woman sitting with her feet up, smiling shyly.

"Well, we were out in the plain." Carlos's voice was a deep baritone, to match his darker skin and solid build. "Got me a nice little plantation of pines out there. I was making a nice little profit thank you very much." He threw a mock glare at Christian, who simply shrugged.

"Well, at least your trees will still be there when you return to them." Terry's voice was higher pitched, and he had tendency to drawl. "My poor crops will be all flattened and stamped out, or blown all over the landscape when this cities guns start firing."

"Take out your anger on the Cybrids then. That's what those old tin cans are for." Both men were silenced at the mention of their old foes, Terry playing with the ring on his finger with a far away look in his eyes.

A while later Christian looked at his watch. "My, it's almost time." He said standing up. "Lets all head down to the hanger. Naomi's Gunsniper should be done almost anytime." Naomi gripped Brad's hand tighter than she needed as she stood up, nerves running though her gut…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Christian led the gathered pilots into the house, where they all took a lift down to the reserved hanger bay below. It was echoingly empty, without a sign of a single zoid. Bit looked around in amazement.

"Isn't this where your zoids are kept?"

Christian nodded. "Generally they will remain here, but they can leave at anytime and go where they will. I think I can guess where they are though." He turned to Susan. "You go ahead. I need to unlock the vault." As he walked towards the back wall, Terry Marx went with him. Faintly Bit heard him ask Terry if he recalled the start up procedure. He turned to Samantha, the closest member of the old team.

"I thought all of you had a zoid…"

Sam shook her head. "Five of us do. Terry's HERC was the only one to survive the battle in anything approaching good condition. We decided as a whole to keep it on as a reminder of who we once were."

Leon was doing some mental arithmetic and looked puzzled. "I only count five of you. There's a sixth member to your team?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, Alice is currently out looking for signs of the Cybrids."

The Blitz entered the bay where the growing zoids were. So intent on the glowing zoid pools at the far end were they it was not until they had reached the centre of the chamber that they noticed that the bay already had occupants. Four great and majestic zoids stood there along each side of the bay.

Mnementh they had already seen, but standing close to the massive dragon was a zoid that none of them had witnessed before. Steve recalled seeing a zoid once before that had a similar basic shape, the Orudios. This zoid had four thin legs supporting a rounded body, with a thick neck at the front and a tail made up of what appeared to be hundreds of individual strands. Atop the stout neck was a long rounded head, with a long mane that ran from the back of the head down the neck, also composed of hundreds of metal strands like the tail. Unlike the Orudios however this zoid did not have wings sprouting from its back. Instead there was a long, tapered horn protruding straight out from the zoids forehead. The entire body was mainly silvery-white, with the underlying parts a pale grey. The mane, eyes and tail were pure silver, and the central horn a pale gold. A sleek twin cannon mounting was situated mid-back, with smaller guns attached to each side of the main turret.

On the other side of the bay from Mnementh was one that was so solidly built it made the Elephander look anorexic in comparison. Standing on four massively thick legs, the huge body was easily big enough to contain the Berserker Fury with room to spare. The head reminded Bit of Harry's modified Dark Horn; only this thing looked even more armoured. Above both eyes a long curved horn reached high, while where the array of spines that would be on a Dark Horns head there was a solid frill that looked like pure armour. As the massive head swung round to inspect them, Bit noticed that the frill completely hid the zoids body. The cheek spars held a serious looking machine gun each, and tucked tight to the zoids body were two massive versions of the Vulcan Cannons. The zoids body was predominantly a dark green, with a paler belly and the covered sections a dark grey. The orange eyes gleamed as they peered out form underneath heavy brows and those huge horns.

Just beyond that zoid a darker mass signalled the presence of the Black Panther zoid that had led them though the mists. It was only the gleaming golden eyes that showed the position of the zoid, as the rest of its jet-black body faded into the shadows.

One and all the Blitz team came to a sudden halt, their eyes wide as they stared at the two new zoids before them. As Susan walked towards the silvery zoid, it neighed and stepped forwards, the metal hooves clicking against the floor. The zoid lowered its long head down to nuzzle Susan with incredible delicacy.

"Eros, old friend…" She whispered to the unicorn zoid. Naomi had never seen such a delicacy to a zoids movement before. It was as if someone had encased a living horse with a skin-tight metal effect bodysuit.

On the other side Carlos's face split into a huge grin as he bellowed out to the huge zoid. "Hey Thunder, how you been old-timer?"

The Zoid in question roared back, before taking a step forwards. The massive tree trunk like legs sent tremors running though the floor that rode up Steve's spine and rattled an old tooth filling. "That zoid must weigh over two hundred tons!" He cried out.

"Almost four, actually." Samantha corrected him smoothly. "Most of that is his hyper-dense armour. He's the only zoid that can with stand a charged particle cannon attack head on and survive." Smiling sweetly at the Blitz in their shock, she walked over to the dark shadowy mass that was almost hidden by the huge zoid.

Van looked at the team's expressions, and couldn't help but laugh. "Trust me, the first time I saw them, I was just as amazed." His laughter brought the Blitz back to the here and now, and they all moved up to the pools. All three had a strong glow coming from within, and off to the side the grey egg that encased Naomi's Gunsniper was showing sighs of dissipating back into swirling mists.

…**_Heads up. The evolution is complete…_** Mnementh's mental statement caused a hush to fall over the bay as the ovoid broke down completely into a swirling cloud. Slowly the mists thinned as they slowed down, until at last the final shred faded away. With a flash the organoid left the zoid and landed beside it, its shoulders slumped in an air of exhaustion.

Naomi however didn't notice the organoids condition, so ardently did she take in her old zoids new look. It maintained the raptor styling of the old Gunsniper, but everything looked sleeker, more streamlined. The neck and torso resembled the neck of a Genosaurer, without the outer layers of armour. The armour plating over the limbs was smoother, more form fitted. The back mounted boosters and mortar rocket pods had not only been shifted down and back to ride over the hips, but they also looked more compact. The claws on the feet and hands were now curved, sharp blades, razor thin on the leading edge. It retained the wrist guns that Naomi had fitted to her Gunsniper, while the tail seemed longer and thinner. The muzzle of the sniper rifle protruding out the end. The head however had the most change. Instead of the one-piece canopy in a boxy head, the zoid before them had a much smoother head, with an armoured canopy like the Liger Zero and most other advanced zoids than ran the entire length of the head. The 'rabbit ears' of the Gunsniper were gone, and instead the new zoid had a single, centrally mount crest that swept back from its head. The zoid was almost uniformly crimson, while the pivot points, weapons and claws were all a matt black.

"Congratulations Naomi Fluegel." Christian said as he stepped up besides them. "You're now the proud owner of a Snipe Master."

Steve sucked in his breath. A Snipe Master! He had a model of one of those, and had drooled at the thought of getting a real one. Their sniping power was unmatched, capable of shooting further and with greater accuracy that the Gunsniper! They were also a bit tougher and more agile, allowing them to get into position faster, and survive for longer if the position was compromised.

Naomi too had heard of them, but had never seen one. Everyone who ever used sniping as their main tactic dreamed of owning one of the ultra rare Snipe Masters. Their rifle was almost fifty percent more powerful than that on a Gunsnipers, and their targeting system was one of the best around. It was even rumoured that the targeting system was so good that one could hit a teacup dead centre at five miles. No wonder the zoid was known as a Snipe Master.

Brad looped am arm round her shoulders. "You deserve it…" He whispered to her. Christian wheeled over a set of stairs.

"Why don't you get in and see how it fits? Mnementh, could you…" He didn't need to continue, as the Snipe Master bowed down, bringing its head close to the ground. The canopy opened up, yawning up like some second jaw. Naomi was so stunned that Brad had to get her started up the stairs into the zoid. Quickly she regained her pose and settled down in the cockpit, instantly feeling at home. As the canopy closed around her she fed her zoid gear into the appropriate slot, crossing her fingers as she did so. The zoid almost instantly recognised the gear, and the controls came alive under her fingers. Everything was arranged in a fashion that was just like the old Gunsniper, but smoother, easier to reach. Naomi felt her blood quicken as she gripped the sticks again, gently experimenting with their response. The new zoid was much faster and more responsive than the Gunsniper had been, and she had to react quickly least she made a fool of herself. Sighing happily, she brought the head back down again so that she could climb out.

"It's wonderful…" She cried as the canopy hinged open again. Brad's smile of pride almost split his head in two. Naomi was about to speak again, but a sudden hiss from one of the side pools cut her off. All eyes turned toward the pool, where steam could be seen rising from the surface and the rumble of pumps began. A second later the pumps on the pool at the other end of the line started up.

"Damn, they're earlier than I expected." Christian commented as they all watched the level of zoid within the pools drop rapidly. Turning to speak to Mnementh, Christian held his tongue as both the Liger Zero and Berserk Fury came bounding into the chamber. _'You knew?'_

…**_Of course… _**Mnementh's reply was distinctly smug.

With a grinding of gears both side pools opened, steam billowing out of the new openings. For a moment nothing happened, then a Ligers roar resounded from within the left one, echoed a second later by a bellow that was dead match for the Fury. Both zoids outside the pools roared in reply, before stepping forward to meet their new siblings as they stepped out of the pools. The four zoids stood, nose to nose, allowing everyone to take in the new zoids. They were almost exact duplicates of the originals, right down to the new weapon configurations. The only difference was in the eyes. The new Ligers eyes shone a brilliant deep crimson, while the new Fury's eye were a cold blue.

"Why on Zi are the new Ligers eyes darker?" Bit asked in confusion, puzzlement clear on his face. While the Liger Zero also had red eyes, they were a more orangey red.

"Because that was the colour Zeke's eyes were!" Van answered before taking a step forward. "Hey Zeke!" He bellowed. The new Liger Zero snapped its head round to look at him, before roaring in reply and bounding over. Now that Bit had heard both, the new Ligers roars sounded off compared to the originals. To Van though the sound was one he had not heard in centuries. The new Ligers roars were an almost exactly like the roars Zeke had made, only deeper and with much more power.

**#Van! Fiona!# **The new Zeke roared as the huge zoid slid to a stop before them both. Gently the zoid nuzzled them both as they clung to its nose.

"It's great to have you back Zeke!" Van said with tears in his eyes. Fiona didn't say anything. She had had a connection with the organoid that had been even deeper than Van's. When Zeke had permanently bonded with the Blade Liger to form the Liger Zero, that bond had been seriously weakened. But now that bond was back and as strong as ever!

Meanwhile the two Fury's stared at each other in silence, while Raven and Vega stepped forward together. Both zoids turned to regard them both before bowing down, the blue-eyed Fury gently nudging Raven, just like Shadow had done in the past.

**#Raven?#** It rumbled, a note of hope in its 'voice'. Raven slowly raised his hand before lowering it onto the nose of the zoid.

"Hey Shadow…" He whispered almost to himself, looking though moistened eyes into one of those blue triangles.

Vega meanwhile was staring into the red eye of the other Fury. "You okay with this Fury?"

**#Yes, I am. He is Shadow now, and I am the Fury. Not Berserk Fury, just Fury# **The zoids rumbled growls filled Vega's heart with warmth.

While all this had been going on Christian had slipped off to one side and had rescanned the contents of the central pool. He nodded to himself before closing down the display. "Leena, your new zoid should be done in a couple of minutes. So everyone just sit tight."

Slowly the pilots dispersed. While Bit and Leena joined Van and Fiona in looking over Zeke, Sarah with Leon in tow went over to join Vega. Steve, Jamie and Pierce went to join Naomi and Brad by her new Snipe Master, leaving Stoller with Cassandra. The two of them glanced at each other, nodded, before they faced the still motionless central pool. After a few minutes of this, Stoller began to get cold feet.

"So, I hear you're the pilot of the Elephander." She stated, not taking her eyes from the zoid pool.

Stoller nodded as he also stared at the pool. "That's right. I was the lead pilot in its resurrection."

"Good zoid, solid, if a little slow and unwieldy. You must be a good pilot if you can handle something like that effectively."

Stoller shrugged. "I can hold my own." He glanced at the young woman besides him, taking in her sharp profile. "So what zoid do you pilot? Red Horn? Zaber Fang?"

"Ha! Nothing that weak." She turned her head to stare back at him, challenge in her eyes. "No, I pilot a custom Genosaurer."

Stoller was rocked back on his heels by the claim. "That's… impressive."

One raven-black eyebrow rose sharply. "Did you mean to say ludicrous? You think that simply because I'm a woman, I can't handle the raw power that a Genosaurer produces?"

"No, not at all."

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't lie to me buster. It's written all over your face."

Stoller frowned back. How dare this upstart claim to be able to read him that well! Okay she was right, he didn't believe her claim. Genosaurers were rare zoids anyway, but a custom one…

"Is arrogance part of the Imperial Officer Training scheme, or is this a natural trait of yours?" He had thought that her eyes couldn't get any narrower. He was wrong. Nor had he realised how cold her voice could get.

"Listen you…"

Over by Shadow, Resse sighed. "Cassie's getting into another fight."

Raven glanced over at the arguing pair, a slight smile on his lips. "Cassie's a big girl. She can handle herself."

"I wonder where she got her arrogance from…" Christian commented playfully as he stepped up besides them. Raven scowled at him, knowing the answer himself.

The argument between the two had gone beyond being civil and had now reached insults. "Well, if you want to talk about pervious experience, why don't we start with your past, in the Backdraft? A criminal organisation, without honour…"

"At least I learned what real honour is about, not been fed on the stylised version they force down your throat at some privileged academy!"

"You calling me spoilt?" Stoller noted, with the tiny part of his brain that was not involved in the argument, that when she frowned like that she was actually quite attractive…

"Let me think… Yes! I expect you've never done a hard days work, and that go get your rank…"

He was saved from making a fatal accusation by the rumble of pumps. Leena's new zoid was ready. As the fluid level dropped in the tank, Leena found herself shaking. Bit, seeing this, put his arm round her.

"It's going to be all right," he whispered as the front of the tank opened up. She nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat.

At first all that could be seen was a shadow in the steam, then it shifted. The wavering image hardened as the zoid stepped out. The head came first, held high up on the long neck. A foreleg was next, the three toes adjusting to the change in the level. The barrel tips of a twin set of Vulcans preceded the shoulders. The body swelled out to the hips, with solid looking thighs. The tail seemed to go on for ages before it finally exited the steam, gently swishing from side to side as the zoid walked.

As the zoid stopped in the clear and stood in a relaxed pose, everyone took in every detail of the new beast. It was nothing like anything any of them had seen before. The total length looked double that of a Gordos, and it was at least a couple of meters taller. The hip joints were higher than the shoulders, the segmented tail starting just behind them. The neck was joined to the body a short distance ahead of the shoulders, and curved upwards in two segments with straight edges. The head had a long jaw and narrowed toward the tip, looking almost regal. The zoids back and belly were both covered in a single sweeping section of armour each, the upper one having a break in the middle for the main guns, a great turret mounting two huge six-barrelled Vulcans. Missile pods, almost minuscule when compared to that turret, rode just above the hips, while small domed twin turrets were situated above and behind the shoulders. Armour plating was wrapped completely around the neck, tail and lower leg segments, while half shells covered the upper forelegs, the thighs and lower neck. Some of the armour was recessed, creating sunken panels and ridges in what would be barren panels. All the armour plating was a pale blue colour, while the underlying parts were darker. The pivot caps, a standard size but seemingly much smaller on this zoid, were a richer blue in colour, and were sunken into the armour. Slung between the forelimbs, just below the neck, there was a twin set of cannons. The legs ended in dull golden paws, with individual toes – three of the front, four on the rear - that had pivoted within the paw as the zoid had walked. The orange eyes gleamed out from within the head.

"It's beautiful…" Leena whispered. The zoids head swung round to look at her, the main guns following the heads line of sight. Naomi gasped as she watched the hip and shoulder joints flex in a way that she had only seen before on the Liger Zero and Fury as the zoid turned to face Leena. The feet twisted on all three axes as each leg moved fluidly to reposition the huge zoid with ease. The mouth opened and the zoid utter a gentle moan before lowering its head down to Leena. She found the end of the snout barely a foot away from her. She looked into the zoids gleaming orange eyes. The jaw opened again, and the zoid uttered another of those moaning roars.

**#Well Leena, are you not pleased to see me?#** Leena's jaw dropped as she understood the zoid! The words didn't come from its mouth, but it seemed that as the she heard the zoids roar, the words where overlaid, much like a movie would be dubbed. The speech was deep but gentle, almost motherly. Bit grinned as he understood the words too, and he hugged her tighter.

"I think it likes you…" He teased. The huge zoid moved its head closer, until it was practically touching Leena. Slowly, she reached out a trembling hand to rest on the metal snout before her. As she felt the warm metal beneath her hand, the zoid crooned gently. A look of wondrous joy formed on her face, to match the look on her fathers. His eyes were almost as wide as saucers as he tried to take in every detail of this amazing zoid at once.

Slowly the others gathered round the new zoid, the Ligers and Fury's behind them. Fiona slowly turned to look at Christian. "Did you know that it would turn out like this?"

"No." He shook his head. "But I hoped. I had the vision, they created it." He left out the fact that Zoid Eve herself had been involved too, but Fiona knew. She was the closest to her of all the inhabitants of the city. A fine thread of mist coiled across her shoulders.

"**_Do not be concerned Fiona Aliysen Linnette Flyheight. The Iguanosaur is a non-violent zoid at heart, a gentle giant."_** The words were whispered into her ear before the misty thread slipped away, thinning almost to nothingness.

* * *

**Zeke: **Woah...

**Carter: **Holy Hannah!

**Shadow: **Oh my...

**O'Neill: **Sweet!

**Irvine: **Man...

**DR: **Thought that might impress you all. And if you wish to see the zoid's picture, go to my author's page and click the link near the bottom! Enjoy! And happy Xmas! A nice present would be a review (of both story and zoid!)


	50. The Gauntlet

**DR: **I hope everyone enjoyed the last couple of days...

**Van: **Not so loud...

**Fiona: **(Groans from within Van's arms)

**DR: **Hangover?

**Van: **(Nods)

**DR: **The stats for the Iguanosaur zoid are true to the 3D model I made, except speed and weight which I guesstimated. The barrels, and the zoid, are THAT big! And the ammo for the main guns and the missiles are exact (could be made larger, I suppose...)

* * *

Chapter 50: The Gauntlet

Slowly and reluctantly, Leena pulled her eyes away from the new zoids to face Christian who was slowly walking up. "It's wonderful," she breathed in awe.

Christian smiled warmly. "So you approve?" he gently teased. Her eyes narrowed for a second before she realised that he had been kidding.

"Yes, thank you for this…"

Christian looked around the gathered zoid pilots. "Now then, let's give these new zoids a workout shall we?"

Grinning with excitement, Van took a hold of Fiona's hand and pulled her toward the new Liger. Both the Liger and Shadow knew what to do, both dipping their heads to allow access to their cockpits. Naomi made her way back to her new Snipe Master, a smile of anticipation on her lips.

Leena turned to her new zoid, unsure how to proceed. She had never talked directly to a zoid before. It was almost surreal!

Bit leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Just treat it like you treat anyone else. It's alive just like the Liger, or me." The zoid gave another gentle roar.

**#Bit is right. I know this is new to you, but you'll find that it's not as surreal as you think#**

The watching people received another display of the zoids range of motion as they watched each leg fold up tightly, until the zoids belly was practically resting on the floor, the elbows tucked under the knees. The zoids chin rested just before Leena, and the canopy opened with a slight hiss. Smiling brightly, Leena stepped onto a convenient ledge above the zoids upper jaw line, before hauling herself up to the rim of the cockpit.

She looked around inside with awe. The zoids cockpit was larger than any other zoid cockpit she had seen, with the exception of Mnementh. The main cockpit was at the front, a standard looking single seat wrapped on three sides by consoles and displays. But behind that was a dual seat arrangement, with very few controls near them. Shrugging to herself, Leena swung her legs over the rim and slid down into the pilot's seat. It was surprisingly comfortable, nice and soft with what appeared to be a leather cover. Of course it couldn't be real leather, but it was a very nice facsimile. As she settled in, Leena came to realise that everything was arranged perfectly for her. All the controls were at her fingertips, without her even having to stretch to reach anything.

"You may need this…" Christian's call made her look up, and so she saw him holding a set of zoid gear. Hers. He clearly had removed it from the Gunsniper before they had begun the fusion process. As he stepped onto the raised lip of the zoid, he slid it over the rim of the cockpit. Quickly catching it, Leena slid it home into the proper slot. Within seconds of do so, the zoids cockpit came alive, the displays lighting up. As the canopy came down with a gentle hum, Leena studied the text that was scrolling up the central display alongside a schematic of the zoid stood in a relaxed pose. So intently was she reading the information displayed, she didn't notice the zoid gracefully standing up again.

**ZOID DESIGNATION: Iguanosaur**

**ID CODE: ZDI6-0001X**

**SIZE CLASS: 6**

**PATTERN: Iguanodon (Dinosaur sub-type)**

**GRADE: Level 3 - Ultimate X (organoid fused zoid)**

**SIZE (relaxed state)-**

**-LENGTH: 62.4m**

**-HEIGHT: 17.4m**

**-WIDTH: 13.3m**

**WEIGHT: 210.2 metric tons**

**MAX SPEED: 213 Km/H**

**REQUIRED PILOTS: 1**

**MAX PILOTS/CREW: 3**

**ASSIGNED TEAM: Blitz Team (Class S)**

**ASSIGNED PILOT: Toros, Leena**

**WEAPONRY:**

**-Twin AZ Hyper-Velocity 60mm Vulcans – 10000 rounds apiece**

**-Four AZ 60mm pulse lasers in 2 twin mountings**

**-Twin AZ 420mm Shock Cannons – 50 rounds apiece**

**-4 Quad Long Range Missile Pods – 48 missiles apiece**

**-1 Grade 3 Hybrid Laser/Particle Cannon**

**-Hardened Alloy Paws**

**SECONDARY SYSTEMS:**

**-Enhanced Actuators**

**-Twin Secondary Pilot Positions**

**-Conversion Armour System**

Leena felt her jaw drop. This zoid carried more firepower than she had ever thought possible on a single zoid! While there was nothing too exotic about most of the weaponry, the scale was! Nearly all Vulcans were 30mm, simply because of the rate of fire, and the space required to store enough ammo to make such weapons worthwhile. While 60mm versions were not unheard of, they were rare indeed. And as for the Shock Cannons and Hybrid Cannon… any other zoid that she was familiar with would have had to be totally dedicated to supporting either of them! The Liger Zero in Panzer armour had a pair of grade one hybrid cannons, while the shock cannons he carried were only 180mm! She had never even heard of a 420mm version!

"Leena, are you just going to stand there all day?" Naomi's face popped up in a comm window. "Or do you intend to move soon?" Leena glared at the older woman, whose tone and face were jovial. Closing the window, she gripped the controls and yanked to the left.

Or at least, tried to. The controls moved only a few millimetres, jerking her arms. As she stared at the unresponsive controls, the zoid moaned again.

**#Leena, you must be calm. Anger is not helpful now# **The controls shifted under her hands, and the zoid turned smoothly towards the exit. It then stopped, clearly waiting.

**#In battle you have to remain focused# **The zoid told her in a gentle tone. **#It was your one failing. You let your emotions rule supreme. Anger can be useful, but uncontrolled anger is not#**

"That's easy for you to say," Leena snapped. "You're a zoid!"

**#The same rule is true of both of us. Leena, to be a great zoid pilot, you have to provide the logic and reason to a battle. We zoids have plenty of instinct, but instinct alone is often not enough. Once we start acting as one, you seeing how my instincts and talents can be used effectively together with your skills and strength of character, we will be equally as good as Bit and Zero#**

That final statement caused Leena to hold her tongue. Could she do it, become regarded as equal in skill to Bit? Was it possible? The Zoid seemed to think so… once she gained control of her own emotions. Thing is, controlling herself was something Leena had never been very good at…

Taking a deep breath, Leena gave herself a second to calm down before she gently worked the controls to start the zoid walking. Without a trace of resistance, the zoid broke into a gentle amble, all four feet being used. In the back of her mind, Leena was innately aware of how to manoeuvre the large zoid so as to not to brush anything.

To those watching from outside, the zoid was gently strolling, like Leena had been piloting that zoid for years. The legs took long strides, the huge tail swinging from side to side almost languidly behind it. Naomi followed behind, keeping her new Snipe Master far enough back as to not get clobbered by that thick tail. Naomi herself was amazed at how fluid her new zoid moved compared to her old Gunsniper.

Hanging back, Zeke, Shadow and Mnementh watched the two new zoids walk out of the hanger bay. **#You think they will adapt?# **Zeke growled.

**#Naomi certainly will. Her new zoid is not radically different from her last one# **Mnementh rumbled. **#However, we will need to keep an eye on Leena. So far the Iguanosaur has been patient with her, and can keep her in check. It remains to be seen if Leena will adapt#**

**#You think she will?# **Shadow rumbled.

**#She is a descendent of my pilot, a master of adaptation. I believe that she can, and will#**

"Once you guys have finished chatting," Christian called up to the three zoids. "Maybe you can follow them. Mnementh, could you stoop down again please, old friend?"

Rumbling the equivalent of zoid laughter, the huge dragon lowered his head to the ground while Van and Raven, smirking with fond memories, piloted their zoids after the two others. Fiona and Resse sat behind them, bursting with pride. The rest of the Blitz Team were soon seated within the huge dragons head, and quickly followed the others.

Samantha watched them go, her eyes lingering on the Iguanosaur. She had always had a fondness for her daughter that had inherited her hair, which was why she had given her the second necklace. Ever since, her direct female descendents whom maintained that gene had always sparked her interest. Now that line rested with Leena Toros…

Her jet-black panther zoid nudged her gently. **#You don't need to worry about her…# **It purred. **#She is still young and impetuous. Given a little time and the attention of a certain blond-haired young man, she will blossom into a woman you will be proud of#**

"I know Panthro, I know…" Sam absently rubbed the zoids eyebrow. "But I can't help worrying, since she doesn't worry enough…"

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Okay, here we are again. Naomi, Leena, since you weren't with us yesterday…" Chuckles drifted out of the radio from somewhere behind Christian. "…I'll quickly run though the details. This course is designed to test your skills, reaction times, coordination and inventiveness. Points are scored for hitting the targets, lost for being hit, and the final score is adjusted by the time you take to complete the whole course. The targets are using paint guns; so don't worry about any damage. There are a few other things about point scoring, but you don't need to worry about them. You'll run though one at a time. Naomi, care to go first?"

Leena turned her head to watch the lithe Snipe Master step up to the start line. Yawning ahead of them was a sweeping valley in the upper reaches of the mountain that the City was built on. The first part was flat and open, while the sides were a mixture of slopes and cliffs. Up ahead, beyond the point where she could see the lay of the valley, Leena could barely make out the shining blue form of Mnementh sitting high upon a cliff. The huge dragon zoid had gone on ahead to a point that overlooked the entire course. The control room for the whole thing was built into that outcrop of volcanic rock, and had an eye everywhere.

"From now on those waiting to run the 'Gauntlet' as we call it will not be able to receive any data from those within. Prevents cheating. Naomi, stand by…" Outside Leena saw a set of red lights begin flashing at the mouth of the valley. After a couple more seconds a claxon sounded. "Go!"

The Snipe Master swung into action, accelerating to full speed rapidly. Naomi stuck to the left, amongst scattered boulders near the cliff face. Using the rocks as cover, she powered into the course.

Almost as soon as she was out of sight of the waiting zoids, she came under fire. A turret popped up ahead of her and started spitting shots at her. Naomi reacted on instinct, jinking right onto a larger boulder, before leaping across to another. As she landed she snapped off a burst from her wrist guns, shredding the turret. The Snipe Master powered past the smoking ruin.

After a sharp bend, she found herself in the fire zone of three turrets, one almost directly to her left. Jinking to the left, she used her mortar rockets on the left flank, while sending a burst of fire towards the turrets ahead. She nailed one, but the other escaped. The rockets missed their target, but the splash of the explosions was enough to take it out. Naomi dashed past the last one and rounded the bend before it could fire.

As she pushed deeper into the course, Naomi began to tell the differences between each type of turret. They each had a single weapon, similar to standard zoid weapons. Some were fitted with fake shock cannons, others rapier thin Vulcans or long range rifles. Some even used missiles, the warheads detonating to create clouds of ink. And they soon began to show up all over the place. Not only ahead, but both sides as well.

Naomi rounded one bend, began to track the three turrets ahead, when something glinted out of the corner of her eye. Acting on instinct she ducked her zoid, just in time as a banshee's hail of shots tore though the space her Snipe Master's head had been. A short return burst from her own guns wreaked the Vulcan turret before it could reacquire her. Glancing back ahead, Naomi smiled as she keyed in sniper mode. The Snipe Master spun round, the raised foot claws hammering into the ground and sinking deep. The zoid crouched as the tail straightened and extended, the muzzle of the hyper-sniper rifle pushing out the end. Quickly grasping the familiar sniper controls, Naomi took a moment to get the feel for the new weapon. The zoid twisted on its feet slightly as she panned the barrel back and forth. Naomi's smile widened as she felt the responsiveness of the new zoid. It was far better than the old Gunsniper! She zoomed in on the far left turret, and gasped when she realised how powerful the Snipe Masters scope was. She was able to count the rivets used to bolt the turret together! Pulling back a little, she lined up her shot carefully.

Pulling the trigger, she felt only a slight shift in the zoid; the tail had adsorbed all the recoil. Watching through the scope, she was stunned for a second as she saw the sheet metal of the turret fold inwards so sharply it shattered. The turret exploded in a display of pyrotechnics, while beyond the explosion she saw the impact of her round strike the cliff face. Grinning with pride, she quickly snapped off another two shots towards the other turrets. The first was dead on; the second a little high but still smashed the turret to fragments. Happy with the first test of the rifle, Naomi reset the system before pushing on past the ruins.

A couple more turns and about a dozen turrets later, she ran across something much worse. While a pair of long-range turrets bottled her up behind a rock, half a dozen small vehicles raced towards her. They looked like little more than a set of wheels, some thin armour and a pair of 30mm guns in a small turret. _'Mobile guns, as if the fixed ones weren't bad enough.' _If they had been firing real rounds Naomi would have been worried. She had managed to evade most of their fire, but still she had taken a few hits. On a thinly armoured zoid like hers, even a lightweight shot could do heavy damage. Triggering her mortar rockets to knock out the turrets, she dived out from her cover and started snapping of bursts from her own 30mm guns. The small vehicles blew quickly, while both turrets were reduced to smoking ruins. She took a couple of light hits, both nothing that would be critical. On her secondary MFD Naomi had a schematic of her zoid pulled up, on which the 'damage' she had taken was displayed. So far the only concern was a rifle hit to the right thigh.

Pushing on, she rounded the bend to see a line of turrets ahead. With little cover, the half dozen long-range rifle turrets could pick her apart at their leisure. Looking about, she spied a ravine just to one side that led past the turrets. She dropped down into it, and almost landed on another turret at the foot of the cliff. Blasting it before it could turn towards her, she set off at a sharp pace though the ravine, taking her past the other turrets above. There were a couple of tight points, but the Snipe Master was small enough to get through.

Rounding another bend, she came across a swift river that cut across her path. To the right was a towering waterfall, with a deep but narrow section just before it. To the left the river broadened and slowed. Further on there was a bridge across, but the far side there was studded with turrets. Anyone crossing the bridge would be under constant fire. And while it was tempting to attempt to jump the river at the narrowest point, its depth gave cause for doubt. As she considered her options, she noticed the waterfall was not tight to the rock face it fell over. Using her sensors, she was able to see that there was a narrow path behind the curtain of water, just large enough for her Snipe Master to slip though.

Past the river she found a mock up town, and encountered the second type of mobile gun. Rolling slowly forward on tracks, it appeared to be a block of armour with a turret mounted cannon. Her 30mm guns barely hurt the thing, so she jinked away before it could fire. Luckily its turret was slow to track her.

Looking down at her main MFD, Naomi's heart leaped as she realised that she was almost though. The turrets were coming thick and fast, with several mobile guns, both wheeled and tracked versions, patrolling about. Rounded the penultimate bend, a screech of warning from her zoid was all she got before a missile struck her in the back. The explosive yield of the missile was tiny, just enough to shatter the casing and release the ink cloud. Spinning around, Naomi saw what had hit her was a third mobile gun, this one airborne. Spinning rotor blades on its top held it aloft, while a rack of missiles hung from stubby wings below. Her first burst of gunfire missed as the thing sidestepped, but her second nailed it head on. The helicopter was shredded.

Turning back, Naomi approached the final bend cautiously. The map showed that the last stretch was open and wide, quite barren really. Deciding that she had better take a look before stepping around that sharp bend, she pushed her Snipe Master to climb the rock to her right, towards the last stretch. The zoid easily mounted the rocks, finding hand and foot grips were no other zoid could. Gingerly she eased the zoids head up so that she could peer between two spires of rock.

She gasped at the sight laid out before her. The last valley was an open plain, without a shred of cover. That region was criss-crossed by patrolling vehicles, an even mixture of the light and heavy ones. Turrets were positioned along both sides, but the biggest concentration was at the far end. A huge wall closed off the mouth of the valley, with a single massive gate in the centre. Turrets lined the upper edge of the wall, and she could see several helicopters idling at the base, their rotors spinning slowly.

Naomi thought hard. A direct assault was out of the question, not with that much firepower and her zoid. Her only chance was to snipe each defender off, one at a time. Looking around as she lowered the zoid back to the valley floor, she searched for the best position to snipe from. At last she found it, a narrow ravine that joined the main valley opposite the last stretch. But to get there, she'd have to expose herself to their guns…

Her map gave her the clue. That ravine's other end also fed into the main valley, a little way back. Just after the mock town. Sighing since she had not wanted to face that thing again, she turned back and raced along. Once the town was in sight she stopped, before arming the rifle again. Naomi rested the sights on the main street. As she had expected the tank had resumed its patrol pattern, and rolled right into her sights. The heavy armour was no match for her AZ-18 sniper rifle, the round punching right through and sending the tank spinning round as it exploded. Satisfied, Naomi set off up the cliff face to the ravine entrance.

It took her a few minutes to reach the other end, having to work her way along some tricky sections and deal with a pair of turrets en route. But it was worth it when she reached the end. The ravine mouth may have been made for sniping, a 'V' shaped cut in the rocks allowed her Snipe Masters tail through while concealing the rest of the zoid. Settling into the controls, Naomi took a long look again at the defences ahead of her.

'_The vehicles can't get me up here, and most of the turrets are out of range.'_ She set her sights on the idling helicopters. _'Those things have to go fast, before they take off.'_ She suited actions to words, snapping of a shot at each craft. The first shattered under the impact, while another pair were snapped in two. Another one lost the tip of its tail, and the last two shots missed, though one did clip a rotor, shattering it. Naomi watched as the last three attempted to take off. The one without its tail rotor spun madly until it wrecked itself, while the others got off the ground. The one with a damaged rotor however was very unsteady, swerving about all over the place. Smiling sweetly, she lined up on the only undamaged one, heading right for her.

'_Here's your reward for getting airborne.'_ The hyper-velocity shot hit the craft dead centre, shattering it. With that threat gone, Naomi began to methodically take out each turret in turn, before turning her attention to the tanks. Once the last one was gone, she decided to push on. No point wasting rifle ammo on those thinly armoured vehicles.

The Snipe Master proved to be just as good going down a cliff as climbing one. It gracefully leapt from rock to rock like a mountain goat, while the wrist guns snapped off bursts at the nearest vehicles. Within a couple of minutes the last one was a smoking wreck, and she approached the formidable gates. For a second she wondered if the gate would open by itself, but when nothing happened she scaled the rock wall to one side and climbed over the top. Pushing her zoid to full speed, she raced for the finish line. As the Snipe Masters nose crossed it, a klaxon sounded.

"Well done Naomi Fluegel, Well done! Good shooting there at the end. I think you topped the board in the accuracy category." Naomi flushed at Christian's comment. "You made it though in twelve minutes, thirty-seven seconds, with a total of 12690 points scored out of a possible 15000. Minus 1350 for the hits you took, and taking into account your time, you've scored a final total of 11057 points. Just two points shy of Brad." Naomi gently eased her Snipe Master towards the cleaning area, were a set of techs waited with hoses to wash her zoid of the paint used by the defences. She sagged in her seat as the Snipe Master came to a stop. That had been one of the most intense twelve minutes of her life! While there were other times when she had gotten just as excited, this was by far the longest.

"Well then, who's next?"

* * *

**DR: **I didn't intend for this to be so long... but once I started writing, I couldn't stop!

**Zeke: **Get on with it! I want to see that new zoid in action!

**DR: **Well you're in luck, cause that's coming next time!


	51. Resolution

**DR: **And now the big event... Leena's new zoid, the Iguanosaur, shows just what it can do!

**Zeke:** Oh goodie!

**Shadow: **Hey, where'd my popcorn go?

**DR: **Oh, I've played psychologist here, my way of accounting for Leena's personality. This is my rough theory about her, and I have no psychology training at all.

* * *

Chapter 51: Resolution

Van, Fiona and Zeke went next, followed by Raven, Resse and Shadow. To those members of the Blitz team who watched in the control room, it was immediately clear to them not only why those two were considered the best zoid warriors ever, but also that their skills had not faded with time. Both zoids tore through the course, each in their own style. Van was a constantly shifting white blur, darting back and forth across the valley. Raven however was a juggernaut, ploughing through everything in his path. Turrets would pop up to engage them – and be either blasted apart or physically smashed before they had time to fire. Both zoids shifted in subtle ways, always just enough to evade hostile fire. It was the greatest display of zoid piloting that any of them had witnessed.

Bit felt humbled as he watched how the cloned Liger Zero and Van Flyheight worked as one. While he knew he was good, Van was so much better; it was almost unbelievable!

Meanwhile Vega was awed at the level of control and power that Raven threw into the course. He had glimpsed this kind of power before in the Fury, but never had he believed he would get such a demonstration! It was no wonder why Raven had been, and was still considered, the most feared pilot ever.

Van and Zeke tore into the final area without scooping it out first, and laid waste to the defenders. Van raced around, running rings round the slow tanks and flattening all the small vehicles, while blasting each turret apart one by one. At last only the gate stood before him, which was as quickly dispatched by a Strike Laser Claw as everything else. The three of them scored 14897.

Raven however stopped at the mouth of the valley. Vega realised what he was going to do first, but everyone knew the second Shadow straightened his body. Very quickly a burning stream of charged particles swept across the defences, wiping out everything – vehicles, turrets and gate – in one go, leaving only scorched rock and the walls remaining. The zoid seemed to swagger as it cruised over the line. Ravens score was 14912.

Lastly it was Leena's turn, and everyone was nervous about this. How would she cope, with a new, unfamiliar zoid after a serious injury like hers had been? Each of them expected different results of her. Stroller figured that she'd never beat his score, since her zoid was both larger and heavier than his, and therefore would be slower. Naomi worried that she would not take into account the larger zoid she now piloted, and would try to do things and go places that a Gunsniper could, but that beast couldn't. Brad expected her to use all her ammo on the first half of the course, if not sooner.

Sarah, Pierce and Jamie all were expecting her to score rock bottom of the teams' scores, simply because she was in an unfamiliar zoid, piloting it for the first time in a combat type situation. Vega knew the power of an Ultimate X, so figured the zoid would be able to help her out. Leon prayed that Leena would not annoy her zoid. Steve… drooled at the thought of watching that wondrous zoid in action.

And Bit… smiled to himself. He noticed that Christian too was smiling, another of his half smiles that practically screamed 'I know something you don't'.

"Okay Leena, your turn now. Ready… Go!"

With a bellow the zoid charged forward. The fore legs took only two steps though before the zoid reared up onto its hind legs and belted into the course. The body was held flat, the fore limbs tucked in close. The tail and neck were almost flat, and the pounding feet tore up the ground.

"Would you look at that! That is so cool!" Steve bellowed in pride, his eyes round as saucers. Strollers jaw hung a little lower, his earlier confidence crumbling.

Inside the Iguanosaur's cockpit, Leena looked about in wonder. "You didn't tell me you could do that!"

**#How did you think I could reach my top speed?# **The zoids growl was distinctly amused.

Leena opened her mouth to speak, but movement ahead cut her off. Grinning evilly she primed her main guns, the twin Anti-Zoid 60mm Hyper-Velocity Vulcans. As soon as the aiming reticule was close to the centre of her HUD, she pulled the trigger.

The roar of both guns opening up drowned out the sounds of the running zoid as twin lines of tracer shot forth blindingly quickly to land on the turret. It was instantly shredded – along with a large part of the rock it was based on.

**#You fired for far too long# **The zoid scolded her once Leena let go of the triggers. **#You only needed a short sharp burst to knock that target out#**

"Don't tell me how to fight!"

**#Leena, remember what I told you before?#** Another turret popped up, this time to the left. Cursing, Leena began to swing her main guns round – only for the target to be destroyed before she even got them aligned. A half dozen bright blue laser bolts had spat out from the left laser turret within a second, slicing the target apart.

'_What the? How…'_ Leena looked down at the main displays. The pulse lasers had been used independently of her manual targeting. "Great! Now my own zoid is stealing my kills!"

**#Leena, remain focused! You can't expect to use the same weapon all the time! Once a target is gone, go back to default and wait. You have to multi-task, and realise which weapon to use in each circumstance within a split second# **As if to punctuate the zoids point, it fired two salvos of missile at a pair of distant targets while the right laser turret blasted a third. All three turrets were ruined.

"I… You can talk! My mind doesn't work as fast as yours does!"

**#It's not a matter of thinking about it. Once you starting doing it by reaction and instinct, your mind will play no part in the process. Then you can direct your thoughts to forming a battle plan and executing such#**

"Okay… How about 'Blast everything in our path'?" Leena snarled sarcastically.

**#That will do… for now#**

X-X-X-X-X-X

Up in the control room, everyone watched in awe as the huge zoid powered through the course, snapping off shots left and right with almost unerring accuracy. Turrets melted under the laser bolts, or were shredded by missiles. And when the main guns fired… chucks of the landscape disappeared along with the turret.

Most of the team were slack jawed in awe. This could not be happening! The Leena they all knew was never this good! At this rate, she'd be giving Bit a run for his money! Steve too was gaping, but mainly because he watching the zoid itself, rather than the effects on the surrounding landscape. The way it ran, balanced perfectly on its hind legs, the thigh plate dropping down to overlap the calf armour when the leg was folded, its weapons perfectly tracking their targets. The tail was being used both as a stabiliser and a rudder, helping to turn the large zoid around the tighter bends. For the really tight ones it would use its smaller forelegs to pivot round before pushing off with the powerful rear legs.

Bit however grinned openly with pride. He had known for a while that Leena was better than she seemed. She just needed to find the way to tap her potential. Plus he knew the zoid was doing most of the work. And talking to her, as he could see the zoid roaring as it pelted forwards.

Christian had nudged him early on. "Care to listen in on them?" He had asked with a sly smile on his face. Bit had nodded, and then he had begun to 'hear' the conversation within the Iguanosaur, relayed by the telepathic Mnementh.

**_#This time, use a short controlled…# _**On the screen, the main guns fired off several dozen rounds, blasting yet more rock into dust along with the turret. The zoid seemed to sigh. **_#Your wasting ammo just to annoy me right?#_**

"_Get off my case, will you! If I want to be nagged about wasting MY ammo, I'll talk to Jamie!"_

_**#He wouldn't nag if you didn't waste ammo…#**_

"_Knock it off!" _Bit turned to Christian.

"Does the zoid know the trouble it's getting into?"

"Sure." Christian replied. "She knows alright. Remember she has the memories of both her previous zoids. But Leena has to grow up sometime, and I guess she's decided to force the issue now."

Down in the valley, Leena snarled as another target popped up ahead. She began to swing her Vulcans to bear, but then they stopped moving. "Huh? What?"

**#You've wasted enough ammo for now. Use the lasers instead# **Suddenly she had control of the laser turrets. Cursing, she fired quickly, sending a hailstorm of bolts at the target. She fired for a few seconds after the target was destroyed.

"There, happy now?"

Suddenly the zoid slowed down, dropping to all four limbs. Leena wrestled with the controls, but nothing happened. Instead the zoid ambled to a stop behind a large outcrop of rock, safe from attack.

**#Leena, why is it your mind is set on maximum overkill all the time?# **The zoids voice had lost all of its resentment and strictness. If anything, it seemed concerned.

"None of your business!" She roared. "Now come on, we're loosing time standing here!"

Brad looked at Stroller, both their faces carrying an equally puzzled look. "Why'd she stop? She was doing so well…"

"Haven't a clue." Stroller shrugged.

Naomi and Sarah looked at each other. They had both grown fond of Leena in their own way, and this sudden halt set off alarm bells in their heads.

Leon turned to ask Bit for his opinion, but when he saw the far away look in his eyes he held his tongue. He looked across at Christian, who tapped the side of his head, before pointing towards the ceiling, towards where his zoid was sat. Leon got the message.

**#You are my pilot, Leena, and on the battlefield we are partners. It is my business to know why you are the way you are#**

Leena hung her head, eyes downcast. "You'd never understand."

**#I do…# **The main display cleared, and a new image faded in. It was a shot seen from the display of a zoid, looking at the cockpit. Leena immediately recognised the layout as belonging to a Dibison. Sitting in the seat was a lean, slim woman with her vibrant red hair worn long, falling away out of sight. Simply dressed in a pale coloured shirt and skirt, she appeared to be running a diagnostic on the zoid.

Leena's heart leapt into her throat. There was only one person it could be… her mother. Oddly, her father had almost no old photos of his wife, so Leena had never seen her mothers face. She had a vague memory from early childhood, and she had been told that she looked almost exactly alike to her, but that was it.

Now here she was; her features clear in the screen. It was amazing just how close the two of them looked. The only real differences were that her mothers chin and jaw line was a little sharper, and her eyes were a deep green. But the hair was an exact match. Before her, Leena saw how she would look within ten years. And she had to admit it was pretty good. No wonder both Steve and Layon had fallen for her; the woman was a knockout.

"_Mommy!" _The child's cry came from off screen, and Leena's mother turned her head, a smile of joy forming on her face.

"_Hello baby…" _She crooned, while reaching out with her arms. She brought back into the cockpit with her a small child with red hair, barely more than four years old, if that. Violet eyes turned to regard the screen.

"_What you doing mommy?" _The baby Leena asked cutely.

"_I'm making sure the zoid is healthy dear…"_

"_Daddy said to Leon that he had to be on his best be… be… something, since we're having a party!" _The child Leena looked up at her mother. _"Really? We're having a party?"_

"_Yes dear Leena we are. I'll need to go out for a while for a few bits later…" _the image faded from the screen.

Leena felt a tear run down her cheek. It had been the last time she had seen her mother. She had never come back from that shopping trip. It had only been recently that she had learned what had happened to her, when she overheard her father tell Bit.

**#The few memories of your mother were centred around that old Dibison. After that the trail is easy to follow. Needing an outlet for your anger, you turned to the zoid. After firing those cannons, you felt a bit better about yourself. And so a cycle of destruction was begun# **Leena couldn't refute the zoids assessment.

**#But your anger never went away# **The zoid continued in a gentle tone. **#The firepower of the zoid only stated it. Outside of your zoid, you had no such means of releasing that old anger, so you became the fire-hearted woman you are now. As you fought more and more, eventually the poor Dibison's capabilities were outstripped by your need for damage. So you changed to the Gunsniper, tooled up for maximum destruction.**

**#The arrival of Bit Cloud awakened something in you. Something you believed had died with your mother. That is why he annoyed you so much. You felt he was intruding into an area that only one person could go.**

**#Leena, your mother is gone, but she still lives in our minds and our hearts. Nothing you can do will totally erase the pain of loosing someone that close, but if you can accept it, then the pain will grow less. That is why you must reach out, lower your guard and release your anger. For if you allow someone in close, they can help you balance yourself#**

Leena looked up again to see another image on the screen. Her and Bit, standing together, his arm round her waist, hers round his shoulders. They were both smiling, his grin one of a cat who got the cream. Just seeing his image again brought back all the wonderful times they had had, ever since that horrendous evening after that last battle with Harry. The most vivid were those of the last few nights, but there were others, just as good. And there was one that was even older. When they had danced away the night, before this mad season had started. Leena had felt, for the first time in her life, completely at peace while encircled by his arms.

Another image was brought up. This time it showed the whole team, at the award ceremony where they had been awarded the GF citation. Everyone had been gathered together for a team picture. Jamie squatted down beside Vega, while Steve stood at the back, his arms wide. Everyone else was gathered together in the centre, except for Stroller who stood a little off to one side. Central though was Leena and Bit, again with their arms round each other.

Slowly within her Leena felt something ease. It was as if there had been a vice gripping her heart over the last seventeen years, getting tighter and tighter, and only now was the pressure easing. She took a deep breath, and felt her mind clear.

**#That's better, isn't it? Now…# **The main display returned to the map of the course. **#Shall we continue?#**

Laughing freely for the first time in her life, Leena gripped the controls again and powered forward.

X-X-X-X-X-X

When the zoid charged out of its hiding place, the speed and suddenness of its appearance startled everyone. Tearing out from cover, it ploughed right past several turrets before they could track it. The side lasers stabbed out again and again, shredding each one in turn. As it pushed forward, everyone noticed a marked change in the behaviour of the zoid. No longer was it perfectly accurate with its attacks, neither was it engaging multiple targets at once like before. But it also had lost that precise quality that had marked it before.

Vega grinned widely as he understood what had been going on. Earlier the zoid had been doing most of the work, manning the side lasers while Leena had used the main guns. Now it let her have full control, and instead concentrated on evasion. It was a little slower, the turns not taken at full speed, but it was still making good time.

When they reached the penultimate bend, another helicopter rose up to attack. The zoid however realised it was there and the lasers swung round to point back over the hips. A burst of fire from both turrets shredded the craft.

At last they reached the final turn, slowing to a walk before stopping again. Leena was amazed at the feeling coursing though her. The last few minutes had been the most eye-opening ones of her life. She had pulled off shots and manoeuvres that she had never thought she could have, even that morning. And she had done it with plenty of ammo to spare! The once gleaming hide of the Iguanosaur was splashed in places from the paint guns, but there was nothing major to worry about. It was nearly all on the armour.

**#Leena, we should scope out what's ahead. I'd bet my right foot that there's a large welcoming committee around that bend#**

Nodding in agreement, Leena gingerly eased the zoids head forwards, low to the ground. She stopped once the nose was poking out, allowing the zoids forward sensors to get a look around the rock. On her main screen the open plain was revealed, and Leena was impressed.

"Look at all that firepower! If those were real guns I'd be impressed!"

**#If they were real I'd be worried#**

Leena shrugged. "Okay, I might be, just a little. Any ideas?" Over the course of the gauntlet, she had grown comfortable in asking her zoid for ideas and advice. She now truly understood what Bit had been going on about when he talked about learning from the Liger Zero.

**#I suggest we wait here for the moment, until I can get target coordinates locked into the missiles. Then we charge in, all guns blazing. I'd suggest you take the main guns and hit the choppers before clearing the wall of turrets, while I use the lasers to clear our flanks. Once the fixed turrets are down, you hit the tanks, I'll take the smaller stuff#**

Leena grinned at the thought of ripping up those nicely arranged defenders. "I like that plan."

**#I thought you might. Right, I've just one last missile salvo to place… got it!# **The zoid drew back from the bend before tensing up. **#Ready?#**

"Bring them on!" Leena cried as she pushed the controls forwards. The zoid used a convenient large boulder to alter direction without breaking stride, bringing itself in line with the opening. Leena triggered the missiles, before switching to the Vulcans and sweeping her fire along the line of helicopters.

The four salvos of four missiles screamed across the plain, before smashing the heavy turrets at their target points to small fragments. The 60mm Vulcan rounds tore the lightly armoured helicopters to shreds in seconds, before any of them had a chance in hell of reacting. As the side lasers stabbed out striking turret after turret, Leena walked a line of explosions along the top of the wall ahead, the multiple detonations smashing the turrets there. Quickly the fixed guns were removed, and the two of them began to deal with the vehicles. Rapidly all of them were obliterated. The last tank managed to get a shot off that struck the right upper foreleg armour, but it didn't get the chance for another.

Leena pulled up just before the gate. Its solid construction implied that it was tough nut to crack. Glancing at her displays, she smiled evilly again as she selected the shock cannons. With their armour cracking shells, they should smash this gate with ease.

The dual cannons beneath the zoids neck tilted upwards slightly and fired, the recoil rocking the zoid back a little. Both rounds struck dead centre, and the gate disappeared behind a veil of smoke. As it cleared, Leena was surprised and disappointed to see that the gate still stood. Its surface was cracked and pitted, and the whole thing had a huge dent in the middle, but it still bared the way.

**#Back up a bit Leena…#** Leena did so, wondering why the zoid wanted her to do so. Then the weapons display selected the last weapon on her list… the hybrid cannon.

The rest of the Blitz watched the screens as the Iguanosaur spread its feet, each placed solidly on the ground. It lowered its head until the neck was perfectly straight. The mouth opened up, and the muzzle of a cannon extended out. Strollers eyes widened in shock as he guessed what the weapon could be…

Leena sat back, a grin of triumph on her face. "HYBRID CANNON FIRE!" She yelled, laughing manically once more.

A bright spear of yellow light blasted froth from the gun, which recoiled back into the zoids neck. The beam was clearly a hybrid cannon like those fitted to the Liger Zero Panzer, only much brighter and larger. The lance of energy stuck the gate dead centre, and burned right though. The detonation blasted the gate in two, the cracked metalwork completely breaking apart.

The two of them took a moment to study their handiwork, before the zoid sprinted for the finish line. Once over the line, the Iguanosaur eased back to a gentle amble.

"Well done Leena!" Over the open radio, Leena could hear the whoops of delight of several people. Loudest of all was Bits, followed closely by her father. "13520 points scored, minus 2130 for hits taken. Your final score is 11163, just a point behind Vega, and three behind Bit." Leena felt her heart beat with pride.

X-X-X-X-X-X

As the five zoids strolled back to the hanger, Leena relaxed in the back seat of her zoid. The rear seat was much more laid back than the main cockpit seat was, and had a lot of legroom. A central armrest could be folded down, in which was the main console for the back seat crew. But right now the armrest was folded up and out of the way.

"We have got to name this zoid."

"We'll it's yours. You should name it." Leena had offered Bit a ride back down, an offer he had eagerly accepted. Allowing the zoid to pilot back, Leena was now curled up with Bit, their arms round each other.

"I haven't any clue. I mean, how do you name a zoid? You and Vega got it easy…"

Bit smiled down at the crimson hair that rested on his chest, despite her not being able to see his face. "I wonder if the zoid it… herself has any ideas?" He asked aloud.

**#To be honest I hadn't thought about it# **The Iguanosaur replied after a few seconds, its tone suggesting amazement.

"What about the others in our team?" Leena asked.

"Let me think…" Bits eye half closed as he tried to recall everything the Liger had told him.

"You, thinking?" Leena joked. Bit grinned at the sound of her free and easy laughter, which had none of the deranged maniacal notes it had had before.

"Well, we have Zero and Fury. Leon Blade Liger is called Blade while the Raynos is known as Eagle." They both chuckled at the reference. "Naomi's old Gunsniper was Comet, and I expect that her new zoid will keep the name. The Elephander is Tusk; the Storm Sworder is Sonic, and the Shadow Fox… Wraith, I think."

**#Correct Bit. The names my old forms were called were Bull and Rack, on account of all those missile racks you added Leena…#**

The zoid trailed off, and both humans sat up quickly to see what was wrong. Looking out the canopy, they saw that all their zoids had stopped just outside the hanger. The Liger Zero, Fury and the other ancient zoids were there too, along with one other…

The new zoid that stood before them blew everyone away. It was clearly a flyer, but unlike any other flying zoid, this one was based on a bird rather than a pterosaur. The golden metal was in a range of shades, some brown tinted, others gleaming gold. The lower legs looked incredibly thin when compared to the rest of the zoid. Each metal plate overlapped the others, and as the zoid extended its wings slightly, they saw how the plates on its wing slid over each other seamlessly. The zoids skin was made of metal feathers. As it stood there, Leena got the sense that the zoid was tired, its wing hanging just a little.

A comm window popped up in everyone's cockpit, displaying a woman's rounded face with long brown hair. Her hazel eyes looked out, filled with worry.

"Chris, we've got trouble. The Cybrids are just outside the mountain chain."

* * *

**DR: **The honeymoon is over, people!

**Irvine: **I'll say.

**DR: **Well next time we have the opening shots of the 'End of Days' battle, Hiltz gets what he deserves, and Bit has a little talk with Leena...


	52. The Calm Before The Storm

Chapter 52: The Calm Before The Storm

The amphitheatre was a buzz as several dozen voices talked at once. The Blitz and Raider teams sat to one side, slightly apart from the gathered pilots of the City Guard. Over fifty men and women were seated in there, some of which were not dressed in the black and silver uniform of the Guard. Captain Cortez sat next to the Blitz, catching up with Derek. Apparently, the two of them had known each other growing up here in the city.

Bit sat besides Leena, his arm round her waist. Compared to all these professional types, he was feeling distinctly amateurish. Most of the other team members felt the same way.

"When is he going to get here?" Brad moaned. Christian and his team, along with Van and Raven, were conspicuous in their absence.

"He'll be here when he's ready." Cassandra spoke up, giving him a withering glare.

At that point the door slid open, revealing the man in question. Everyone quietened down as he walked to the central podium, his team following him in and sitting down in a set of seats off to one side. Van, Raven, Fiona and Resse joined them as Christian leaned heavily on the stand before him. Slowly he swept his gaze around the chamber, making eye contact with each person in turn. When his eyes met Bit's, Bit was stunned at the transformation in them. Tiredness, a coldness completely at odds with his easy-going nature, and something else; something that Bit would never have expected to see.

Fear.

"Thank you all for coming so quickly. I know rumours are already flying so I'll get to the point. The Cybrids are almost here." The air temperature of the room dropped several degrees, and even the most jovial of the Guardsmen paled. "They are currently smashing their way though the mountain chain, using a mobile base structure to tunnel right though the mountains. At their current rate, they'll be able to attack the city early this evening.

"The force we face is… large. Almost ten thousand units." Gasps rose from the gathered pilots, and Bit felt short of breath himself. _'Ten thousand!'_ Not even the Guylos Empire at the height of its military power had that much hardware!

"That figure does not include their air support or their infantry models. Plus, we have reason to believe the Death Saurer itself may also be part of the attacking force. Make no mistake; this is going to be bloody." He paused, and Bit could see in his eyes the reflection of all the past battles the man had fought. Battles that still haunted him.

"The purpose of this briefing is to ensure that our battle plan is understood, and to allow you to pass on crucial information to your men." He tapped a few controls, and in the centre of the room a holo-projector crackled into life. Above it, a plan of the City was displayed, the main gates at the top.

"Our first line of defence is the outer wall. We have to blunt their strike force before they can get inside the city. Have no illusions; they will breach the city walls. The only thing we can affect is how soon and with how big a force." A series of white lights appeared along the wall, while a number of blue ones were positioned behind it. Clusters of five green dots lined the walls, while a number of yellow dots congregated around the gate. A row of black dots lined up just inside the inner gate. Red dots were scattered throughout the city.

"The Gojulas units will take up firing positions along the wall. Their job will be to disrupt the advance and pound the primary assault units. Each Dibison group will concentrate fire on a single Cybrid formation at a time. The Blade Ligers are to remain behind the wall, ready to counter attack when it is breached, while the Rev Raptor Packs will support them and provide assistance where needed." Christian's hand ringed the yellow dots.

"I ask that the Blitz Team, Raiders Team and Captain Cortez defend our weakest point; the gateway. I'll let you discuss deployment amongst yourselves. If the gate way is breached, fall back within the city and support our internal defence line."

"Which is?" Cassandra asked, to which Christian smiled. But it did not touch his eyes, and sent coils of dread round Bit's gut.

"A line of Apocalypse mark III class HERCS." The map of the city faded out to be replaced by a display of a new war machine.

The thing was so similar to a Cybrid that at first Bit thought it was one. Built along the same lines, the whole thing was a collection of boxy sections. The legs were thick, sturdy structures with four joints, the 'Knees' ahead of the hips. Above that was the body, with a central section that was sloped to a sharp edge at the front, with a tinted canopy on top and a large calibre rotary cannon underneath. To each side were huge boxy sections that rose higher that the central body. The front of the side pods were formed from four distinct angled panels. The top two were grey and rounded at the top, with a set of four prongs that were an almost exact match for the lightning weapons the Cybrid had used on the Fury. The panels below were studded with missile tubes, twenty-four of them. The next panel was covered with an intricate symbol, while the one below sloped backwards, and had a smaller rotary cannon protruding. Outside the side compartments four odd looking weapons were attached, each had a part held out in front of the rest of the gun by four thin bars, the inside of which glowed. The entire construct was painted black with gold weapons and edging.

"Improved over the models we used in the last war on Earth, these HERCs will make any Cybrid that tries to force its way though the gate suffer." Christian's smiled faded.

"I won't attempt to lie to you all. Ultimately, we can't survive this attack, unless we can kill the command element, Helios. Therefore my team, joined by Van and Raven, will be hunting for that super computer. I expect that Hiltz and the Death Saurer will be guarding it, so hopefully they won't bother you." The image faded to display a machine that the Blitz was all too familiar with. They had faced four of them before. Stroller shuddered as he recalled three of them firing a devastating missile salvo into him.

"The Diablo makes up the bulk of the oncoming force. Fast – for a HERC – with heavy firepower and good armour, these things can take a beating. However these are just the grunts. What we need to look out for are these…" The image shifted again. "The Cerberus."

Vega shivered as once more he looked upon the machine that had practically flayed his zoid apart. The sense of dread and evil that the thing produced was almost palatable, even though it was only a hologram.

"The data we have suggests that the mix of Diablo's to Cerberus's is ninety-eight to one. That suggests that the Cerberus's are the command sections. Take them down, and hopefully the attendant Cybrids will become confused, and will have to rely on their own, poorer intellect."

The display shifted once more, to display a very different machine. While clearly Cybrid, it had a radically different layout. It stood on four legs, the long heavy body held flat. A huge turret was mounted just over the back legs, and the entire machine seemed to be composed of armour.

"The Bulldog, the Cybrids primary siege/heavy assault unit. These are the Dibison's primary targets. They can carry weapons no other Cybrid can, weapons ideal for smashing our walls. A number have been noted without turrets. According to scans, these units are being used as armoured carriers, transporting a number of much smaller Cybrids within their armoured hulls. Both types must be destroyed as fast as possible." Christian closed down the projector.

"Now go round to your men, and make sure they understand the situation. Tell them the defences have to hold for as long as possible. I'll address everyone later. Blitz Team, Raiders, Captain Cortez, could you stay a moment?"

With none of the bustle or muttering they had had when they arrived, the men of the City Guard exited the chamber. Once the last of them had left, the two teams and Cassie stepped down to the main floor.

"I wanted to know roughly what you're planning on doing." Christian asked tiredness in his voice. The projector powered up again, this time displaying the gatehouse and the surrounding region. Blips appeared showing the location of the City Guard units, each type of zoid with a different symbol. Christian turned to Naomi.

"Naomi Fluegel, as I said before I think I've found an ideal sniping position for you. There's ledge on the second tier of the city's walls. Has a good view out over the plain. With your new Snipe Master, you should be able to snipe from there in safely, with little chance of direct attack."

Naomi bowed her head, thinking while Cassandra looked over the three-dimensional display.

"I'd say we place myself and Derek here and here." Her thin finger pointed to the two towers each side of the gate, before shifting to a point directly over the gate. "With the Fury sitting here, the Raiders Dibison behind it. That way we will have clear lines of fire for our charged particle guns."

Michael nodded, before placing his stubby finger just before the gate. "I can park myself here, and blast anything that gets close."

"Meanwhile everyone else can engage in the shadow of your guns." Jamie commented.

"Good thinking. Pierce, Jamie, I have special favour to ask of you both. The one thing we lack in this city is air power. However the Cybrids are bringing a lot of Land Skimmers to the battle, at least two thousand. I'd like you two to engage them."

"Two zoids against two thousand?" Pierce's eyes shot wide open. "Are you nuts?"

"They may have the advantage of numbers certainly, but the Land Skimmer is mainly designed for ground attack. It is a poor dogfighter. Both your zoids are faster, more agile and better armoured than they are." The shock in Pierces eyes faded a little.

Jamie shrugged. "We'd have to deal with them anyway, might as well tackle then head on."

Bit nodded, before turning to Christian. "That plan firm enough for you? We don't do solid plans…" He joked. Christian smiled again, but this time there was warmth in his eyes.

"Firm enough. In the final analysis, your chaotic styles are more likely to be effective against them. Computers hate chaos." Everyone laughed politely at the small joke. They all needed as much humour as they could get.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Leena watched as the techs reloaded her zoid, restocking it after her run though the gauntlet that morning. The Iguanosaur gleamed once more, all the paint stains removed. But Leena got no comfort from the spotless condition of the zoid. Nor could she find reassurance in the incredible arsenal that the zoid carried. Despite the plan that she had heard, and the sight of the ranks of City Guard zoids waiting to defend the city, she felt fear coil round her spine. Wrapping her arms round herself, Leena tried to push her fears to the back of her mind. But she couldn't help but worry about what the evening would bring. Death and destruction were certain, but whose death?

"Hey, you okay?" Bits voice accompanied his arms as they encircled her waist. Leena leaned back into him, drawing comfort from his presence.

"Now I am…"

Bit grinned as he looked up at her zoid. His Liger Zero stood in the bay besides it, with the Fury the other side, the canopy open. Within, Vega sat running a last diagnostic on the powerful zoid. But he was watching Bit and Leena surreptitiously, hoping that at last the two of them would agree to tie the knot. While the whole team knew that the pair of them had been sleeping together, it was hoped that it was the beginning of something deeper. Christian clearly thought it was, but not everyone was convinced.

Vega wasn't the only one watching the pair. All three zoids were focused on them as well. Both Liger and the Iguanosaur knew how deeply they cared for each other, and it was obvious to Fury. The only question was were they prepared to take the next step? After the incident with Harry Champ, they had started dating, but neither had been ready to take their relationship to the next level. Would everyone have to wait several more months – at least – before they took the next step?

"Your worried about what's coming, right?" Bit asked, his grin fading a little.

"Yea…" Leena half whispered back, reluctant to air her fears even to him. She half turned in his arms so that she could hug him in return. "I'm… afraid. Come the morning some, maybe all of us, could be dead…"

"Nonsense" Bit snorted. "We're some of the best pilots around. We have the best zoids going, and we're backed up by a whole army of dedicated pilots." Leena looked up at his face, her eyes shining as she took in his supreme confidence. "We'll all pull through. No walking toaster is going to end my career!" Even with death staring him in the face, Bit refused to acknowledge despair. This attitude was one of the reasons she loved him.

"You really think we can survive this?"

"I know we will." Bit smiled down at her. "And not because we can't be beaten. We have to. After all, it is considered impolite to miss your own wedding." His grin had widened even further and his voice had dropped lower.

Leena's eyes widened as she took in what he had said. "Bit, are you…?"

Smiling shyly, Bit removed one hand from her waist to reach into his pocket. He pulled out a small velvet case, just like the one that Leon had used. He had talked to Leon earlier, and Leon had recommended the same store where he had got his ring for Sarah.

"I guess I am," he said gently as he snapped open the case.

Leena's eyes went as wide as dinner plates as her breath left her in a gasp of astonishment.

**#What's going on? Liger, you've got a better view. What's he doing?# **Fury rumbled gently, lest he disturb the two lovers.

Liger however was too entranced by the sight before him to answer.

The ring gleamed in the overhead lights. It was composed of a central violet gemstone surround by a ring of turquoise, set in gold. Ruby red lines banded the main ring, and the craftsmanship of the gold around the gems was exquisite. The ring must have cost as much as the Liger Zero!

At last Leena was able to look up into Bit's eyes. In those green eyes of his, she saw a whole range of emotions. Pride, anxiety, fear, hope and most dominate of all, love. She felt tears form in her own eyes, as in her heart a hundred thousand fireworks went off at once. Never before in her life had she felt so happy!

"So, will you marry me, Leena?" He asked a mixture of hope and dread in his voice. What if she said no?

Leena had to take a moment to find her voice. "Oh god YES!" She cried out, before collapsing into his arms. She gripped him tightly round the neck as everyone in the hanger turned to see what the commotion was about.

Grinning with pride, Bit took the ring from the case into his free hand. Leena obligingly brought her arm down so that he could slide it over her finger. As the ring slid home, all three zoids exalted, their combined roars of joy rocking the hanger itself and echoing throughout the plateau.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Bit sat fidgeting in the cockpit of the Liger Zero, waiting. Before him the entire City Guard was arrayed in the central square they had first arrived into. It was now packed with zoids, Blade Ligers with gleaming gold blades, Dibisons with racks of cannons, towering Gojulas, and row after row of Modified Rev Raptors. The Blitz and Raider teams, along with Captain Cortez's Genosaurer, stood at the back of the arrayed ranks, close to the gatehouse. Only Naomi was missing; she had taken up position on the ledge Christian had told her about. Mingled amongst the zoids feet, and lining the bridges along the sides of the square, were rows of people, all heavily armed. Just behind the team the Hover Cargo waited. Bit planed to use the Panzer armour to try and even the odds for Jamie and Pierce, before switching to one of the other armours.

The heads of all the zoids and people were upturned, staring at the massive gatehouse that marked the centre of the fifth level. Stood there in all his glory was the huge dragon zoid Mnementh. As he stood there, the fading sunlight gleaming off his smooth hide, Bit felt a surge of confidence. With such allies, nothing could stop them!

Christian's face came up in a comm window, his features grave. "All right people, this is it. You all know me, so you know I've never been one for reassuring lies.

"Take a moment to look around you, at your colleagues, your friends, your homes. That is what we will be fighting to defend today. I know that you will fight with every last breath you take. If it's our time to die, it's our time. The only question is how. You going to go out on your feet, or on your knees? Personally I've always been the stubborn kind.

"If there is one thing that makes our race worth saving, it is our courage. The will to stand before hell, look upon death itself, and spit in its face! It is the mark of true heroism to be willing to risk everything, not for glory, or fame, or fortune, but for a friend. A companion. If we are to die here, then let us make our deaths worthy of remembrance. You're already heroes, just by being willing to stand and fight, to make them pay for every step they take. All I ask, if we have to give our lives to these bastards, WE GIVE THEM HELL BEFORE WE DO!"

At once every person and zoid roared together at Christian's final line, the combined noise loud enough to shake the surrounding buildings. The heavy metal shutters that covered all the windows rattled in their hinges, the few remaining non-combatants covered their ears, and the water in the rivers trembled.

"Now, defenders of humanity, to your places! May fortune smile on you all, and may Zoid Eve's presence spur you on!" As one the massed ranks of zoids turned and sprinted to their positions. As Bit turned towards the gateway, he fell instep with Leena, her Iguanosaur dwarfing the Liger Zero. The Hover Cargo, Sarah at the controls, followed them. The massive three-horned zoid, the unicorn zoid and the Apocalypse HERC that was part of Christian's team followed them out.

"You ready Leena?" He called, anxious about her, despite his confidence in her skills.

"As ready as you." Her voice had all the hallmarks of her old strength, but Bit could tell that she was worried too, underneath.

Vega was the first of the Blitz to reach his position, and as such the first to look out and see the force arrayed against them. _'Holy mother…'_

A black tide of Cybrids filled the far side of the plain, the rows of blood red sensor eyes staring back. In the air a cloud of Land Skimmers blotted out the sun, and at the very back a pair of massive blocks, each supported by massive treads and as large as a skyscraper, framed a hole bored right though the mountain chain. The idea of ten thousand units was bad enough, but to see it with your own eyes…

The Fury growled, before taking a couple of steps to the side. Glancing right, Vega watched as Shadow, the Fury's twin, stepped up besides him.

"Derek, Vega, Cassie, Raven, prime your Charged Particle Cannons!" Christian called as in a blur his zoid landed before the teams. "Sam slipped into position earlier, and she supplying the target coordinates of the Cybrid manufacturing unit. By combining our firepower, we can take it out now, while we still can! Leena, Bit, use your hybrid cannons!"

Vega watched as data flowed across his screens. All the zoids braced themselves, priming their most powerful weapons. One by one all five cannons reached full charge, while Bit exited the Hover Cargo, the Liger encased in the Panzer armour. All ready the heat was building up, but Christian had arranged for a fire truck to be there and to spray the Liger with water, to try and cool it down.

"Ready… fire!"

As one, five blinding bright beams blasted out, tearing across the plain. Leena and Bit fired their hybrid cannons as fast as they could cycle. Four of the particle beams slammed into the monstrous construction, their power drained by the shields that protected the mobile factory. The beam fired from Mnementh burned through Cybrid after Cybrid to strike the target, biting deep. The Cybrids shields were no match for the hybrid cannon blasts, each bolt punching through like they weren't even there. Bit's smaller bolts smashed deep, burning huge chunks of armour off. Leena's heavier blasts shattered the unfortunate Cybrids they struck.

Despite the heavy losses their fire took, it was merely a drop in the bucket when compared to the teeming horde of Cybrid units. The Factories shields slowly weakened…

"All Dibisons, hit the factory with your megolmax attacks now!" Seconds after Christian's command, bright yellow beams reached out from the walls, before splitting up and raining hellfire on the factory. Explosions obscured the target, but everyone kept firing. They all knew that if the Factory weren't destroyed, it would produce more Cybrid attack units, to the point that they would simply be overwhelmed.

Bit was the first to stop firing; the heat was getting too much. The Dibisons were next, one by one falling silent as their power cells were exhausted. Leena's own hybrid cannon ran out of power, just before Derek and Cassandra had to shut down. Shadow and Fury kept going for as long as possible, but even they too had to cease-fire or melt their own guns. At last Mnementh quit, his wings hanging a little. The sustained charged particle attack had drained him.

Everyone gazed anxiously at the target, hidden by smoke. Had they destroyed it? A red glow came from within, brightening as the smoke thinned…

"You did it!" Samantha's voice filled everyone's headsets. "The factories gone!" As if to confirm her words, the last of the smoke lifted to reveal a burning heap of twisted metal, a raging inferno within seen through the holes bored into the structure by the particle beams. The metalwork sagged and ran liquid from the heat of the blaze, and a towering column of smoke rose into the sky.

The zoids roared in joy, their exaltations echoing back and forth throughout the plain.

"YES! We did it!" Leena punched the air in joy, her eyes shining at the power her zoid had displayed.

Bit grinned in triumph, sweat running down his spine. The temperature was dropping, thanks to the cooling effect of the water being sprayed over him. Steam rose in a great tower from the Liger, the water draining away the heat.

Vega grinned with joy, but them he noticed that the Cybrids took no notice at all that they had just lost their factory. They continued to stand in their ranks, unmoving…

"Congratulations, you've taken out the factory." Hiltz's cold tones drained all cheer from the defenders as he appeared before them all. It showed him standing on a platform that jutted out from a cylindrical shape. Above him was a great mechanical eye, the pupil a blood red. Behind them both was the second large structure, red light shining from within seeping out of a thin line that ran up the centre.

"It doesn't matter though, since you'll still lose. It already had produced several hundred more units from the material gathered during our trip here. You've wasted a lot of firepower destroying that, which was useless, and now you're weak. Typical humans! I am so looking forward to crushing you beneath my foot!"

The huge structure at the rear split apart, both halves falling away. Some fluid gushed out, but all eyes were on the form revealed. Slowly the segmented form straightened up, its massively clawed forearms unfurling. Blood red eyes gazed out from the monsters head, and as it stepped down from the ruins of its containment vessel the ground trembled. The monster opened its mouth, and a deafening roar of malice and hate split the air.

"I see you brought back the Ultimate Death Saurer." Christian said quietly, his voice dangerously low.

Hiltz smiled cruelly. "Not quite. We've got his body back, but to restore his mind, I have to join with him temporarily. Now that I am the master of the Death Saurer, I can merge with him freely. I can direct him without having to be joined, allowing him to destroy my foes while I attend to more, personal matters." He laughed again, insanity filling every note. "Fiona, Resse and any other pure blood female Ancient Zoidian will be spared. I'll enjoy hearing you scream as we repopulate the planet... Now Helios, launch your attack while I attend to the Death Saurer!"

Not one Cybrid moved. Hiltz stood there for a second, confusion written across his face.

"Didn't you hear me Helios? I said launch the attack!"

"**The attack will be launched, but there is one last thing to do first…"**

"What…" Hiltz began to say.

He didn't get the chance to continue his question.

The Cylinder behind him split open, twin doors opening wide, spilling forth a blood red light. Metal snake-like tentacles shot out and wrapped round Hiltz's body and limbs, squeezing tight. Sharp needles at the tips dug deep into his skin. The cables began to reel him inside the column.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?"

"**The Planet will be repopulated, but not by any weak flesh creature…"**

Hiltz was dragged inside, the cables pulling him into a spread-eagled position. Clamps locked round his wrists, ankles, waist and forehead, locking him in place. An array of whirring blades lowered.

"**You fool! Did you really think I was going to follow you for the rest of your pathetic life?"** Helios mocked him as the blades sliced off his clothing, not caring if they cut his skin or not. Where the blades had, his flesh peeled back to reveal more zoid core scales.

"**My only reason for keeping you alive this long was because the Death Saurer resides in you!"** Probes and wires with needle fine tips extended, before they all plunged deep into Hiltz's body.

"**But now I know how to release it from your puny, weak body!" **Helios continued as Hiltz screamed in agony. **"Now, I will become the Death Saurer's master!"**

Bit gaped in horror as core scales began to flow up the probes that were jacked into Hiltz. His body seemed to contract, the remaining skin too taunt for his bones. It was as if the super computer was sucking everything out of him!

The core scales, joined now by a dark green material that was unlike anything that Bit had ever seen, almost completely coated the inside of the compartment where Hiltz was being held. Hiltz himself was reduced to a skeleton figure, the scales disappearing from within his body. His hair had completely faded to a dull silver hue, and his skin shrunken. A little blood flowed from the scores of cuts in his body, but it was thin and brackish.

At last Hiltz stopped shaking, and hung from the restraints. The probes withdrew from him, before the restraints extended out of the casing, still gripping his lifeless body. Once clear of the narrow ledge, they snapped open. Hiltz's corpse landed in a pile of gangly arms and legs, several of the bones breaking on impact.

"**_Weak flesh thing…" _**Helios's voice had shifted, becoming deeper, more hate filled. As the compartment where Hiltz had died closed, blood red light shone between all the panels that made up the column, just before the comm window died. Looking out across the plain, Bit watched as the column slowly began to rise off the ground, while the Death Saurer stood taller. The titanic zoid opened its chest; the interlocking bars opening to reveal a round hole. Helios's column drifted up towards it, rotating as it did so, until it was lined up with the new opening. As it slid home, the bars of the Death Saurer's chest locked back into place.

Blood red light shone from within the Death Saurer, in much the same manner as a normal zoid would when an organoid fused with it. The eyes shone brighter than before, and seemed to pulse with evil.

"_**At last, I am whole once more. Now to finish what I started all those years ago... Zoid Eve, your time has come! All Legions; commence attack! Leave nothing alive!"**_

As one, the ranks of Cybrids stepped forward, their sensor eyes glowing brighter than before…

* * *

**Shadow: **That's got to hurt...

**O'Neill: **Nasty.


	53. Honour The Brave

**DR: **Well here we are people, the main event at last! Let's get ready to rumble...

**Shadow: **Yea yea...

**DR: **Now, before I start, let me explain something. I've noticed with FF writers that when they do large battles (especially space battles), it becomes a little... dull. Sort of '...These guys lose 4 type A ships and 9 type B's, while those guys lose 5 ships...' (ack, hard to describe) So, to hopefully counter this, I've A) concentrated on the Blitz team's actions, & B) tried to show the flow and overall feeling of the battle, rather than give a running body count.

**Zeke: **Did it work?

**DR: **(sighs) I don't know.

**Irvine: **Well, good luck.

**DR: **Thanks. Now fasten your seatbelts, make sure your tray tables are in the upright and locked positions, and hold on to your hats! We've got despair, incredible bravery, hope, hideous destruction, the clashing powers of gods, and a few cliffhangers up ahead!

* * *

Chapter 53: Honour The Brave

All but two beings that saw the demise of Hiltz were shaken to his or her core. True he was considered one of the most evil men who had ever lived, but to die like that! It was horrific! The marching Cybrids advanced, the ground trembling from the thousands of footfalls. The Death Saurer itself towered over the mountains, glaring across at the city, the air around it seeming to take on a bloody hue.

Zoid Eve however remained resolute. She was terrified, but she was also tired of running. And even if she did run, he would eventually track her down. His new army would scour the planet looking for her. She could never escape. This had to end, now!

Taking a deep breath, she reached out with her power, infusing all the zoids with her strength. All the zoids who had participated in the destruction of the Cybrid factory were suddenly refreshed, their power cells fully charged again. Each zoid felt in their cores the touch of their god, their literal mother, and a new surge of confidence and defiance filled them. Eve redirected her power, giving her greatest servants a small fraction of her strength, before she had to withdraw. She had to conserve herself, to assist the cities shields withstand the coming storm.

Christian was the only man who did not quail at the sight. In fact his only reaction was a narrowing of his eyes. As Eve touched Mnementh, the zoids strength returned. The dragon zoid stood tall again, and a pale light shone from him, as if in rivalry to the blood hued light of the Death Saurer.

"All units, FIRE AT WILL!" He bellowed into the comm system before engaging the boosters. The blue dragon rocketed into the air, a bellow of defiance splitting it and snapping all the City Guard members out of their shock.

With a deafening bellow, the huge three-horned zoid broke into a run, closely followed by the Unicorn zoid, the HERC, Zeke and Shadow. Van had asked Bit if he could borrow the Schneider armour, and Bit had allowed him to do so. Raven also borrowed the Storm unit from Vega, since it suited his combat style better.

As the five zoids charged headlong, Bit quickly began to prime his missiles. "Let's do this! Doc, get ready to mobilize the Zero armour!"

All along the wall, Pilots began to open fire. The towering Gojulas zoids were rocked back on their feet by their shoulder-mounted cannons, while the Dibison's hunkered down and opened up with their own cannons. Leena started firing her Hybrid Cannon again, each bolt smashing a Cybrid apart. As Bit unleashed all his missiles at once, Jamie and Pierce kicked their engines to full power and rocketed after them, while Derek and Cassandra began to charge their charged particle cannons up again.

The siege had begun…

X-X-X-X-X-X

The young emperor of Guylos sat at his desk, watching the faces of the President of the Helic Republic and the Commissioner of the ZBC. The three of them were holding a videoconference to discuss how to deal with any raids that Hiltz and his troops might make.

"The core of our problems is the wilderness regions," The aging president stated tiredly. "With no towns, or even hamlets for miles, an army could search for years out there and not find anything."

"Yet if we don't find Hiltz's bases, we will always be attacked."

"I agree," the Emperor nodded. "So we have to extended our long range surveillance, and track each attack as it comes in. Maybe they will be careless enough…"

A side door to his chamber was thrown open, and man rushed through, despite the best efforts of his guards. As he raced towards the Emperor, he saw that the man's face had a look of pure terror. The Emperor felt a lump of ice settle in his gut as the man dropped to one knee before him.

"Emperor, please forgive this intrusion, but a report just came in. Patrol zero-nineteen has discovered a path carved right through the Misty Mountains!" Everyone's attention was focused on the trembling man. They witnessed a massive explosion within the chain, and…" the messenger's voice failed.

"What is it?" The Emperor asked as gently as he could. That block of fear was creeping up his spine now.

The man swallowed audibly. "The team report that they have sighted, in their words, 'A towering saurian zoid that dwarfed the mountains, exuding pure evil.' Since then more gunfire has been heard."

There was only one zoid in Zi's history that such a description fitted. All three men were pale faced in shock.

"He did it. He brought back the Death Saurer…" the Helic President gave voice to their fears.

"And it looks like Christian was right. Hiltz and his minions are attacking them first."

"Didn't he say that 'She' was there too?" All three of them knew whom the Emperor meant.

"Aye…"

The man reached up to touch his comm headset. "Sir, the team sent their Redler up the path to scout out the situation. It's transmitting the data back…"

"Bring it up here, now!" The Emperor ordered. With a nod the man spoke a few words, and a large section of the floor opened up to reveal a holo-projector. Quickly it powered up and formed the raw data sent by the distant Redler into a three dimensional image.

"Holy mother…"

Spread out before the Emperor was the entire plain that was before the City. The outer wall was lined with zoids, their guns firing constantly. The City stood tall and proud, defiant and stately. But across on the other side of the plain stood the towering Death Saurer, projecting evil and malice. Across the plain marched a tide of Cybrids, advancing relentlessly into the fire of the city's defenders. Massive detonations encased dozens, but most of the affected Cybrids emerged seemingly unharmed. In the air a pair of zoids danced amongst a cloud of Cybrid flyers, and a small team of zoids charged headlong towards the ranks of death machines. The lead zoid was a juggernaut; it's massively armoured head deflecting all hostile fire. The zoids behind it seemed encased with good, and as they charged forth they fired back.

"Look at the size of that army!"

"They can't survive that! Their all doomed!"

"Wait, is that… it is! The Blitz Team is there!" The Emperor sat up at the Commissioner's words. Sure enough, the zoids of the expanded Blitz team could be seen, all bar the overloaded Gunsniper. The Hover Cargo was pulling back within the city, its job done. The Liger Zero stood besides a much larger zoid, firing away. The Emperor's keen eyes quickly noticed that one of the Genosaurers standing on the gateway was Captain Cortez's, his best zoid pilot. Both zoids sent beams of destruction sweeping across the ranks of the Cybrids, but the losses were a drop in an ocean.

"That pilot is out of his mind! No single zoid can challenge the Death Saurer like that!"

The Presidents words brought the Emperor's eyes back to the monster zoid. Hovering just before the massive head of the Death Saurer was a zoid that compared to anything else would be massive. But compared to the Death Saurer the dragon was nothing more than a large insect. Yet somehow they both were equal and opposite, one shining knight of good, the other a master of evil.

The dragon zoid roared at the zoid version of the devil and fired its missiles, but they barely scratched the monster. In reply the Death Saurer tried to bite down on the smaller zoid, but it darted out of the way just in time. It slashed at the monster's shoulder as it flew past, but the claws just sparked off. The Cybrids were firing back at the city now, balls of energy slamming into the walls or raining down on the shield that protected the city behind them. Beams stabbed out and slammed into the zoids on the walls, some pitched off the back by the impacts. The zoids were hopelessly outnumbered, but they continued to fire back.

"They can't win, but they still fight…" The President's voice was filled with awe.

"Aye. And even if they take out that army, the Death Saurer will destroy them all. And 'She' will be taken, and that will be the end of us all…" The Commissioner slumped in his seat, the very image of despair.

But the Emperor of Guylos was still young enough that his blood was afire and he refused to consign everyone to their doom. Setting his face, he turned to the Captain of his guard.

"Alert all our forces. I want everything zoid and pilot that can fight ready to leave in ten minutes!" The captain took a look at the holo-display, before nodding and turned away to do as the Emperor commanded. He had been the young mans tutor for a long time now, and he knew what the Emperor was planning. And in his heart he knew it was not only the right thing to do. It was the only thing to do.

"You're… you're not sending your forces to help them!" The President cried.

"I am. We cannot allow such brave people to die needlessly. Maybe they won't have to, if we can get there and help." The Emperor rose from his seat, a grim expression on his face. "If the Death Saurer wins, we are all doomed anyway. I for one will not let that happen!"

The Commissioners face shifted his expression stern. He sat upright once more. "Nor will I."

The President's eyes flicked back and forth, taking in the expressions of both men. At last he nodded.

"Agreed. We will help them. If this is the end of our time, then let us go out with one final act of glory."

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Watch out Brad, three from the left!"

"I've got them. Cover me!"

"Don't these things ever just die!"

"Not easily…" Bit answered Jane's question as he body tackled another Cybrid. Both teams had moved forwards to engage the army, and now they were embroiled in close range fighting. Leena had told them her observations from her chase in the canyons, and the Blitz recalled the almost disastrous attack on their home. Now they tag-teamed the Cybrids, concentrating their fire on a couple at a time. Derek, Vega, Cassandra and Jacob remained on the gates, breaking up the Cybrid force with their fire. But the Cybrids withstood even the charged particle cannons very well, and both Genosaurers were reaching the limit of their endurance. Of the other zoids only Leena had the firepower to take one out alone. Stoller and Michael remained either side of the gateway, both engaging the same target. Their combined fire had shredded several Cybrids, but for every one that fell, another two took their place.

'_At least our Laser Blades are still effective, once the shields are down.'_ Quickly the pilots had worked out a tactic to beat the Cybrids powerful shields and heavy armour. They would batter the shields down, then they would close in to deliver a strike laser claw or sideswipe with Laser Blades. Leon and Anna had already racked up a lot of kills each, with Bit and Brad not far behind. Leena's continuously barrage was almost as effective, and the Iguanosaur was nearly as powerful close up. Despite not having any laser blades or claws, the zoid had a lot of mass and could deliver powerful kicks. When one Cybrid had tried to flank her, the zoid had kicked out, sending the Cybrid flying. Others that got too close were simply crushed beneath the zoids feet. Bit suspected that Leena liked doing that a lot, judging from the maniacal laughter that came over the comm system when she did.

'_Speaking of flying Cybrids…' _Bit glanced again to where the five legendary warriors continued their charge towards the Death Saurer to help out Christian and Mnementh. They simply bulldozed through the Cybrids lines, the huge triceratops zoid either tossing them bodily aside or trampling them beneath its huge mass. The others following it fired left and right continuously, raking the Cybrids they passed with fire. The Liger Zero copy had all the Laser Blades formed into the Seven Blade Attack, and was carving its own path through the machines. Every now and again the Apocalypse lashed it with its Electron Flux weapons, the same kind of weapons that had been used to devastating effect on the Fury. Fires from downed Cybrids marked their wake, but the machines advance was relentless.

In the skies above the battlefield Pierce and Jamie wove through the cloud of Cybrid aircraft almost delicately. Finding that the flyers lacked the shields of their land-bound brethren, the two of them were extracting a bloody toll of the lumbering craft. But their massed fire had almost cut them both down several times, and both pilots were pushing themselves to the limit.

Even with them both fully engaged and the mass that Bit had taken down at the start with his Burning Big Bang, several hundred were still free to strafe the city and the zoids on the walls. The Rev Raptors fired up at them when they could, and AA emplacements on the upper walls filled the air with tracer and flak. But it was like hitting a swarm of bees with a baseball bat. Each swing took out a few, but there were still masses of them.

Along the walls themselves the defending zoids blazed away recklessly, not even bothering to aim. The attacking force was so thick that they couldn't miss. But the Cybrids were coming into range now, and their return fire was as precise as it was deadly. The huge lumbering Bulldogs had been pounding away ever since the start, their guns pounding the walls, or blasting zoids clean off the walls.

But all that paled to insignificance when compared to the titan that stood across the plain. The Death Saurer, now backlit by the setting sun, twirled and spun, trying to remove the nimble dragon zoid Mnementh. The golden eagle zoid made incredibly high-speed strafing runs, but nothing seemed to hurt the monster.

Bit smashed another Cybrids sensor eye in with the Ligers Claws, before charging another that was attempting to flank Leena again. Suddenly the machines eye was smashed apart, the shield glowing and for a second buckling. The Cybrid, blinded by Naomi's precision shot, began firing wildly, unable to see. Another hyper-velocity round smashed into the machines knee, shearing right through and pitching it to fall face first into the muddy ground.

Bit grinned as he skidded to a stop to fire on another machine, the Ligers paws slipping in the mud. The smoke from the burning factory, along with the steam he had created earlier, had combined with a large swath of cloud that had rolled in to form the mother of all thunderstorms. In the twilight, the main sources of light were the raging fires and weapon discharges, with lightning flashes completing the picture. _'At least with this rain we don't have to worry about over heating!'_

Brad sawed his laser fire across one Cybrid, before Jane's pulse cannons smashed the things knee apart. As the Diablo fell, Brad saw behind it something that ran his blood cold. "Watch out! We've got one of those Cerberus things here!"

Leena cursed as she chewed another Cybrid apart with her lasers. As the machine fell, fire bursting from the neat holes in its armour, she spun round to face the approaching monster. The Cerberus was already firing away at the others, long chains of tracer snapping at Leon's heels.

"LEAVE MY BROTHER ALONE!" She snarled as she fired the Hybrid Cannon again. The high-energy beam smashed the shields down before punching right through the Cybrid. The machine was rocked by the impact, but it remained standing. It turned to face her, an evil glint in its blood red eye. Energy began to gather on the prongs that formed the Zoid ELF weapons…

"Oh no you don't!" Leena yelled as she triggered her shock cannons. Mindful of the limited ammo supply, she had been conserving them for the really tough targets. Both shells slammed into the Cerberus with the force of a speeding freight train, their charges going off a millisecond after the shell hit. The twin detonation rocked the Cerberus back, its front armour shattered apart. A twin set of missiles finished it off, the mass of arms falling away as the body was ripped apart.

"Nice one!" Bit commented as he swiped the 'head' off a Diablo. Several of the Cybrids around them paused for a second, before they began to act again. But they were acting less fluidly, no longer trying to combine their fire.

"That Cerberus must have been the control unit for this lot!" Brad smirked as the Shadow Fox leapt onto the back of another Cybrid, bearing it to the ground, where Brad had the Fox tear the Cybrids back off with the Laser Claws before ripping out the central computer gear with the zoids jaws. A chain of detonations marked where Jacob unleashed another barrage over the team's heads into the oncoming horde.

"Don't get cocky." Cassandra's ice-cold tones didn't show a hint of the effort she was putting into the battle. "There's still a lot more of them to come."

As if to punctuate her point, another row of Cybrids appeared from the gloom, their red eyes blazing with hatred and their weapons already spitting fire.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Above them, Jamie swept down on another Land Skimmers tail as it prepared to make another run on the City Guard lining the wall. His lasers ruined the Cybrids left hover pad, sending the machine tumbling to crash just before the scarred wall. As he flew past, Jamie could see how the continuous bombardment was pounding the cities walls part. Cracks were forming in the old stone, and small piles of rubble were collecting all along its length. Yet the walls seemed as strong as ever. _'They sure knew how to build that wall!'_

Pierce carved her way through another set of flyers, all three of her laser blades extended. Her lasers were almost white hot from continuous fire, and there were still more flyers to engage! Pushing the Storm Sworder to the max, she weaved her way through the return fire, the lightning discharges overhead throwing the silvers zoids skin into sharp relief.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Stoller sweated underneath his clothing as another set of Cybrids came into range. He and Michael had decided to work together and hold the gate down while the others messed with the Cybrids advance. As such both zoids had their shields deployed and were immobile, hosing down anything that came within range. Michael started the barrage, his twin impact fusion cannons pounding away at the central Diablo. Stoller added the fire from his assault gatling unit to the mix, launching a set of missiles in the bargain. They had quickly found that as the shields power fell off, the slower moving missiles could get through while other weapons would still strike the shield. The detentions rocked the machine, just as another linked blast of Michaels guns punched through the armour. The Cybrid seemed to fold in on itself, before crashing down into the ground, the machine breaking apart on impact.

Behind them all, virtually invisible to the attacking Cybrids, Naomi lined up another shot. The Snipe Master had already proved it's worth, the AZ-18 sniper rifle proving just how powerful and accurate it was. She had started by slapping shot after shot into Cybrid 'eye's, blinding the machines so that they could not tell friend from foe. However it seemed that after a few seconds they began to receive data from other units, allowing them to see again. She had switched to targeting leg joints, predominantly the 'Diablo' units, as their legs were thinner. The others were too thick for her rifle to take out with one shot. As she scanned for another target, she spotted something massive close in on her team-mates.

"Bit! To your left! One of those Bulldogs is heading right for you!"

Bit cursed as he looked at the monstrous machine. The sensor eye was almost hidden by the massive body, shaped a bit like a shoe from the side. The huge turret swung round to point at him, all four strange barrels glowing.

The Liger dived forward, but the mud slowed him down. Even so three of the beams fired missed.

The fourth slammed into the Ligers rear leg. While the particle beam didn't breach the armour, the impact was powerful enough to kick the legs out from underneath Liger, who ended up sprawled on the ground. Bit swiped at his forehead were a little blood was trickling down, before gripping the zoids controls again.

Unfortunately the Liger had fallen into one of the small streams that criss-crossed the plain. The soft mud provided almost no traction, and the Liger struggled to find grip. As a darker shadow fell over him, Bit looked up to see the Bulldogs guns slowly aiming at him again. Laser bolts fired from Brads laser Vulcan sizzled against the huge machines shields, but the Cybrids took no notice.

Leena's heart leapt into her throat when she saw the situation Bit was in. "BIT!" She screamed as she threw her zoid towards him, but another Cerberus blocked her path. The Iguanosaur bowled the machine over, but in doing so fell onto its side…

Leon tried to assist Bit, but a hail of cannon fire cut across his path…

Naomi fired her rifle, but the Bulldogs shields were far more powerful than even the Cerberus's, and the round skimmed off…

Liger tried to find grip in the streambed, but the soft mud refused to give it. All he could do was roar in defiance as the Bulldog lined up the shot…

* * *

**Zeke: **0.0 Epp!

**Irvine: **Yikes!

**O'Neill: **Oh...

**DR: **I did warn you guys!


	54. Mounting Damage

Chapter 54: Mounting Damage

Just before the Bulldog finished aiming, a smoky grey mass slammed into its flank. The Fury struck the machine feet first with a flying double kick. The sheer force of the impact collapsed the weakened shields and knocked the Bulldog Cybrid over. The Fury, roaring with rage, tore into the machine with animalistic power, just like the creature it was based on would have done. The massive jaws of the Fury bit deep, tearing great chunks of armour and internal components out. At last the Cybrid stilled and lay inert, but the Fury continued to tear into the machine for a few seconds, making sure.

As Leena heaved her zoid back onto its feet, she saw the Fury's animalistic assault on the Cybrid. Smiling with joy, she loped over to where Bit was still struggling to get up. "Need a hand?" She asked, her playful joke failing to cover her relief.

"Sure, Liger can't get a grip in this mud." Bit replied. Smirking, Leena coached her zoid to reach out and bite on the Ligers forepaw. Once she had a grip, the vastly heavier Iguanosaur easily pulled the Liger Zero onto firmer ground.

**#Thanks for that# **The Liger bellowed, shaking off some of the dark mud.

**#Anytime#** The Iguanosaur roared back, before turning away to fire a volley of missiles at another Cybrid.

Derek smiled as he watched the two pilots work together. He had always been a romantic. A nearby detonation snapped him back to the battle.

In the skies above, Jamie and Pierce had a few moments to catch their breaths. Both pilots were nearing the point of total exhaustion, and their zoids weren't much better. Together the pair of them had accounted for almost a quarter of the Cybrid flyers, easy pickings just as Christian had said. But over a thousand more were in the air, and their constant attacks were hurting the City Guard badly. "Jamie, once we get out of this, I'm staying in bed for a week." Pierce moaned.

"Same here." Jamie's voice was just as filled with exhaustion as hers. Sighing, the pair of them rolled together and dived back down onto the aerial armada that was hammering the City.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Stoller cursed as another Bulldog pushed towards him and Michael. Christian hadn't been kidding when had said that these things were the Cybrids primary siege/heavy assault units. The strength of their shielding was almost unbelievable! Slowly both his Elephander and the Gordos were being forced back. Jacob continued to fire into the oncoming mass, his heavy shells churning up the ground and sending ripples through Cybrid shielding. Several hits on the same target had caused the shields to collapse, but so far he had been unable to capitalise on the fact. _'At least it weakens them for the others…'_

All along the wall the zoids continued to hammer away. While the Dibisons rained a constant barrage of shells onto the Cybrids, the Gojulas units fired salvo after salvo into them. Direct hits with their main guns were powerful enough to destroy the machines, but many more simply emerged from the detonations barely harmed. And the return fire was getting thicker. The Bulldogs had been firing back with particle beams, cluster missiles and hyper-velocity plasma bolts since the start, but now the lower level Cybrids were coming into range. Some of the gaps in the firing line had been filled with Rev Raptors, but their lighter guns were struggling to hurt the machines. It was only around the gatehouse that the Cybrids were being held back, by the combined fighting prowess and firepower of the Blitz and Raider teams.

Captain Cortez snarled as she swept her charged particle beam across the front rank of Cybrids closing on the wall to her left. No human force could take such casualties and not break, but these machines didn't care how many units they lost! They just kept on coming, fighting a battle of attrition. One that only the Cybrids, with their overwhelming numbers, could win.

Leon and Anna combined their charges to slice a Diablo apart, before racing towards where Bit, Leena and Vega continued to tear the heart out another subgroup of Cybrids. "Guys, we have to fall back! We're being surrounded!"

Bit glanced down as his tactical display, cursing as he saw Leon was right. The Blitz Team was becoming cut off from the gatehouse, with Cybrids on three sides now, and rapidly sweeping round behind them.

"He's right. Leena, Vega, back to the gate!" As one the five zoids turned and raced towards the gateway, while Brad triggered his smoke dischargers as they passed him. He left a thick black smoke screen behind him as he followed the larger zoids.

Derek watched as the others fell back towards him. _'Smart move, their position was becoming un…'_

Suddenly one of the Bulldogs carrying a massive plasma cannon fired, the barrel rocketing back into its mounting. The high-density ball of super-heated plasma smashed into the head of Derek's Genosaurer. The thunderous detonation vaporised the zoids head, while the kinetic energy of the bolt pitched the whole zoid backwards. The Genosaurer was thrown upwards to land heavily on its back, out of the fight. "DEREK!" Anna screamed when she saw her husband's zoid take the hit. Bit gasped in horror, before his eyes narrowed dangerously. Spinning around, he quickly located the Bulldog that had fired the shot. Liger planted his feet while the cheek laser generators charged up.

"ALPHA STRIKE!" The Liger bleached forth the last of his missiles, the masses of micro-missiles hammering the Cybrids shield, before the LRMs hit. The first three struck the shield, their explosive force dissipated by the energy field. The last one hit the rear left hip, damaging the joint. The Cybrid began to crank the massive barrel round to target the Liger, but a bright beam of light slammed into the turret ring, punching right through. The gun stopped as the Cybrid retargeted the great threat, Leena's Iguanosaur. It triggered the cannon…

And in a flash the rear half of the machine disintegrated as the compromised cannon misfired. The plasma conduits from the reactor failed, and the Cybrid suffered the plasma equivalent of an internal ammo explosion. The front half was pitched forwards to thud into the ground, smoke rising from the charred, half molten end.

"Good shot Leena." Brad commented, as his nimble Shadow Fox dived around a Cybrid, using it as a shield against another's fire.

"How's Derek?" Bit asked, his earlier rage fading fast.

"He's alright." Jacob called, his words causing Anna and Nicholas to sag in relief. "He's climbed out of the zoid, and he's fine. Except he looks hopping mad." Bit could only grin at the thought.

X-X-X-X-X-X

In the capital of the Guylos Empire, the Emperor strode out of his chambers, pulling on his gloves. Since he, the Helic President and the ZBC Commissioner had agree to assist in the battle being fought right now at the Great City, he had changed from his usual robes of office to a battle uniform similar in cut to his generals, except his was made of the finest materials and intricately embroidered. Outside the palace, and across the empire, zoid battle groups were marshalling rapidly. It was expected that the entire force would be crossing the sea to Europa within the hour.

"Nicholas, don't go…" The Emperor turned to face his wife, a sad smile on his face. Now almost eight months pregnant, she was forced to wear loose clothing, unable to fit into the robes of her station. She had allowed her brown hair to grow longer, and the Emperor liked it that way. Her sea-green eyes were filled with a mixture of fear and pride, while a single tear ran down her cheek.

"Love, I have to." Nicholas stepped close to her before gently wrapping his arms round her shoulders. "What kind of Emperor would I be if I sent my men to face such a monster alone?"

"A safe one…" She whispered quietly, her eyes downcast.

"Maybe for now, but if 'It' wins the battle, then no one would be safe anymore." He gently lifted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. "No matter where they were, nobody could hide from him forever. Or their children."

"I know… but I'm afraid!"

"So am I dear heart, so am I," He let his forehead rest on hers. "But I have to do this."

"I know you have to… so come back to us…" She hugged him even tighter, her eyes pressed shut.

Behind Nicholas, the captain of his guard arrived, dressed for battle. He sighed when he saw them both. Their passion for each other was the main reason the people loved him so much, not just because he was a kind and fair Emperor. The man had watched over the lad for almost his whole life, and he knew how hard this was for him. But the Emperor would never shrink away from what had to be done. "I'm sorry your highness, but it's time."

Slowly the Emperor pulled out of his embrace with his wife, looking deep into those eyes that he loved so much. "I love you." He whispered.

"I love you…" She whispered back. They always shared this little reminder of their love whenever they had to part, even at the end of a long distance transmission. She kissed him on the cheek, before turning away and hobbling into her room, tears running down her cheeks.

Emperor Nicholas turned about sharply and strode towards the captain. "Let's be off then."

"Emperor, you should do something about that." The captain nodded towards Nicholas's cheek. He looked into a wall-mounted mirror, before raising a hand to the lipstick mark on his cheek. But he stopped the motion before he could wipe it off.

"No, leave it. Maybe it'll bring luck."

"Aye sir. We'll need all the luck we can get."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Leena had long since stopped laughing when she took down a Cybrid. Now her arms ached, primarily her right. While the cuts in her arm had been all but closed up that morning, she didn't need to roll back her sleeve to tell that the battle was tearing them open again. Nor did she need to see the slowly spreading red patch.

The City Guard were being hammered, and the Blitz weren't doing much better. After Derek had been taken out, Brad had been caught in a crossfire and the Fox was nearly shredded. Only a combined attack by herself and Bit had saved him, and now the Shadow Fox was limping to the nearest zoid workshop. Michael and Stroller had been forced right up to the gateway, and the rest of them were not far out. Bit and the Liger were doing wonders, and she wasn't doing much worse. But Leena had to rely on her lasers more and more, since she was nearly out of missiles and 60mm rounds. The others were not much better off, Bit was clean out of missiles and the other's weapons were getting dangerously low.

Never the less, they all continued to fight back against the swarms of machines that assailed them. The Cybrids sheer weight of numbers was driving them back, and it didn't seem to matter how many they destroyed, there was always a half-dozen more to take its place. All their zoids had taken varying degrees of damage, though as of yet none enough to seriously affect them, except of course Brad and Derek. The cities outer wall still stood strong, despite being charred and the top lip crumbling. Of more concern was the fact that the shield that protected the city inside from artillery attack was failing, allowing the Land Skimmers and some of the warheads from the Bulldogs cluster missiles to slip through. Already several fires burned within the walls, the smoke rising to join the thick cloud that blanketed the battlefield, smothering the stars and moons.

The only bright spot on the whole battlefield was across the plain, where Christian, his team, Van and Raven were engaged with the Death Saurer. Leena shivered every time she looked up at the monster. With night fallen and the storm overhead, the only lights were fires, weapon flashes and the cities own lights. But the air around the Death Saurer was lit with a red light, tingeing everything near it the colour of blood.

There was one exception to that though. Mnementh continued to flirt around the monster, peppering it with missiles and lasers. Ever since the start, he had continued to exude a pale, whitish glow. Every golden blade, claw, spike and tooth glowed brilliantly, and his blue hide seemed to almost pulse. Although the attacks against the monster appeared to have no effect at this range, if they could bring that creature down…

"Leena, your left!"

She snapped back to the battle, her primary guns spinning round and firing even before she looked. The hail of cannon rounds exploded on the Cerberus's shields, while the machine fired back. Laser beams scarred the once gleaming hide of her zoid, while cannon rounds sparked off or carved furrows into the armour. A few struck off the main armour, and tore inside the Iguanosaur. With her newfound relationship with the zoid, Leena could feel its pain. At last the Cerberus's shields fell, and her Vulcans sawed the Cybrid in two. The machine exploded apart, collapsing into a pile of wreckage just as with an ominous clicking, her guns ran dry.

Swearing to herself, Leena quickly checked her displays. The Vulcans ammo was expended, and she was down to just a half dozen volleys of missiles. The shock cannons still had plenty of rounds, but they were almost useless against the Cybrids shields. "How bad is it?" She asked the zoid, since they had a bit of clear air for the moment.

**#I'm okay…# **Leena however could hear the pain in the zoids roar. **#But I don't know how much longer I can hang on…#**

"You and me both…" Something made her look up, to see a Bulldog running full pelt towards her.

"SHIT!" She screamed as she triggered her remaining missiles and the lasers. Cassandra poured laser fire into the machine from her position on the wall, and slowly the Bulldogs shields began to fail.

In desperation, Leena fired the shock cannons. The shields were on the verge of collapse when she did so, allowing the heavy shells to punch through and slam into the Cybrids legs. The armour cracking shells shattered the Bulldogs front legs, pitching the machine to the ground. Leena continued to pour laser fire into the thing, after seeing one that had been taken down like this continue to fire its turret weapon until totally destroyed…

Her finger fell away from the trigger as she suddenly realised that this Bulldog had no turret. And there was no sign that there had even been a turret on this one. _'What's going on here?'_

Her silent question was answered a moment later when a ramp thudded down from the Cybrids backside, and a swarm of man sized Cybrids charged out. Spilling out and around their downed transport, the tiny Scarab Cybrids swarmed upon the Iguanosaur.

"GET OFF ME!" Leena yelled as the diminutive Cybrids began to climb up the zoids legs, the soles of their feet magnetised to latch onto the larger machine. The Iguanosaur bucked as its unwanted passengers fired into cracks in the outer armour, into joints and pivots, into the gaps between plates. Dozens still on the ground were flattened by the zoid as it thrashed about, but those already attached refused to be dislodged. "Somebody help me here!"

Naomi swore viciously when she saw the state Leena was in. "Leena, hold still." She said as she swung her sights around.

"WHAT? Are you crazy? These things will tear me part if I do!"

"I need you to hold still so I can knock them off you!" The Iguanosaur stopped pitching, standing still facing the gateway. The tiny Cybrids renewed their assault.

"Hurry up Naomi!" Leena's voice was filled with panic as a Scarab climbed onto the zoids forehead, the concussion of its footfalls resounded right over her head. It was walking right over her!

Taking a deep breath, Naomi set her sights, and began to aim and fire faster than she had ever done before in her life. With Leena and her zoids life in the balance, every second counted. But if she missed by even a small amount…

Round after round spat out from the Snipe Masters tail, streaking across the city to pick off the tiny Cybrids. Each Scarab simply shattered as the hyper-velocity rounds struck them; the legs remaining attached for a second after the body had gone before the electromagnets in the feet lost power. Quickly Naomi plucked off every one of the machines. "Leena, turn through ninety degrees, so I can get the others!" Leena wasted no time in doing so, and Naomi quickly knocked off the last few. "I think you're clear."

Leena looked down at her displays. "Are we?" she asked, as she took in the damage that the Cybrids had managed to do.

**#Yes, but… I don't think I can take anymore. We have to… get help…# **the zoids voice was even more strained and pain-filled than before.

"Okay… Guys, I need some cover here!" Leena called out as she turned the zoid back to the gate. The Iguanosaur was sluggish, the right foreleg dragging.

"Don't worry sis, we've got your back!" Leon's red Blade Liger appeared to one side, the lasers mounted along the side blades already stabbing out. Anna Calisto's Blue Liger was on the other side, the rain hissing against her almost white hot blades.

The Liger Zero smashed another Diablo to the ground before rocketing over to pace the limping Iguanosaur. "You okay in there, Leena?" Bit's worried voice accompanied his face appearing in a comm window, lined with worry.

"I'm all right." Leena kept the pain she was feeling from her right arm out of her voice. "But my zoids battered."

"I can see that." It was true; the hide of the larger zoids was pockmarked with impact craters, charred and mangled. The right elbow joint was a mess and mud was splattered all across the zoids belly and legs. The ends of all the barrels were soot stained, as was the region around the missile pods. "Get inside and have someone take a look at your zoid. At the very least get a reload and that joint fixed. We need all the firepower we can get."

"I'll do that…" Leena sagged in her seat, raising her hand to swipe sweat from her brow.

"Leena! Your arm!" Leena suddenly realised she had used her right arm out of habit, and the bloodstain was clear. "Please have someone look at that too!"

"It's fine!" Leena snapped back, but her voice lacked her old aggression. The injury was beginning to hurt like hell.

"Please Leena, for me." She felt the fight run out of her, and nodded in compliance.

**#Make sure she does, for Bit's sake if nothing else!# **The Liger roared to the larger zoid as they passed between the stationary Gordos and Elephander.

**#Oh I intend to…#** With one last growl of sympathy, the Liger Zero turned and raced back out to the fight, to where the Fury was stamping down on a Cerberus with both feet.

X-X-X-X-X-X

In the skies above them all, Jamie sent another Land Skimmer spiralling downwards trailing black smoke. Between himself and Pierce, they were tearing a bloody hole in the Cybrids aerial force. But they were just two zoids, with all so human pilots…

Suddenly the Raynos was buffeted about as a hail of cannon fire tore into the zoids belly. A flying wedge of Land Skimmers had formed up and had taken advantage of Jamie's brief lack of attention. Pierce, screaming in rage and fear, dived right through the wedge, her laser blades carving almost half of them apart. The remainder scattered from her attack. Filled with worry, she pulled up alongside the Raynos. The slim green zoid was now trailing a thin cloud of smoke itself, with ugly cannon damage running almost the length of the zoid, even onto the lower jaw…

"Jamie, you alright?" His reply was barely audible above the howling of wind.

"I'm still here…" Jamie coughed as the cockpit was filling with smoke from the ruined controls. A couple of rounds had punched right through the zoids jaw and had cut up just in front of him. How none of them had struck him was incredible, but the damage was equally as terminal. He looked over his shoulder to the ejection system, before sighing deeply.

"Pierce, I'm going down. The Raynos has had it. But…" He was interrupted by another fit of coughs. "…But the ejection systems totalled. I'm not leaving the zoid. At least, not safely."

Pierce's heart leapt into her throat at Jamie's words. _'No, this can't be happening! Not to Jamie! He's too good and honest to die!'_ She hadn't felt such emotion since the death of her mother. "Don't you have any control at all?" Pierce felt tears run down her cheeks, her lips quivering. Fortunately the Cybrids weren't taking any notice of them for the moment. Otherwise she'd be in the same straights as him now.

"Pierce, the controls have been wrecked. I have no flight control at all." Already the Raynos's nose was dropping, the beginnings of a death dive. "Goodbye." He said sadly, his voice filled with regret.

"NO!" Pierce screamed as the Raynos rolled over and plummeted towards the battle below…

* * *

**Shadow: **Not another one!

**DR: **Yep, another cliffe. Don't think there's any more...


	55. We Can’t Hold!

Chapter 55: We Can't Hold!

Brad looked about the hanger where he had been directed to go, his eyes wide in shock. Every bay was taken by a damaged zoid, while medics tended to the pilots as they arrived. The zoids were torn up, holes punched through amour like Swiss cheese, whole limbs torn away. A number of zoids had been brought back by Gustavs, which raced back and forth from the wall, retrieving the fallen zoids from where they had landed.

While the human techs worked flat out reloading ammo and doing what they could, the main work of repairing the zoids fell to the organoids, each one fusing with a zoid in turn. It was amazing how the tiny zoids were able to completely repair their larger cousins in seconds, but Brad noticed that as each organoid fused again and again, the repairs took longer and longer to complete.

He watched as an organoid un-fused from a Gojulas, landing on its feet just before the titan. The tan organoid stood there for a few seconds, swaying on his feet, before falling flat onto his belly. A knot of men rushed forward before rolling the exhausted being onto a stretcher. Clearly the process of healing the zoids tired the organoids immensely.

Brad felt a rush of air behind him, and he turned to face the grey organoid that had fused with the Shadow Fox when he had arrived. The Organoid swayed on his feet, and his jaw hung low.

"**Your zoid is ready to fight again…" **Brad looked up at the Fox, his jaw dropping as he saw how the zoid was almost fully repaired. The only sighs of damage were a faint outline of the harm he had taken. **"But I must warn you, I was unable to fully repair such a unique zoid. Even if I had been a full strength it would have been difficult. With so many damaged…"** The Organoids growl faded, its shoulders slumped.

"I understand." Brad gently rested his hand on the small zoids shoulder. "I appreciate what you've done. I owe you one."

"**Smash some of those Cybrids to junk for me then." **Brad smiled grimly as he thought about the sheer numbers of Cybrids he had seen. He quickly scrambled up the gantries to reach the Fox's cockpit. Sliding into the familiar seat, he began to throw switches as he belted in. He knew that time was not on their side. Glancing at the displays, he saw that the areas of damage had been reduced to light, rather that the crippling they had been when he got to the hanger.

The Fox slipped out of the crowded hanger, before lopping back towards the gate. Glancing about, Brad grimaced at the sight of columns of smoking rising from the fires that burned within the city. The shield that had protected the city so far was on the verge of collapse, and the Cybrid flyers continued to hammer away at it. AA fire blasted dozens from the sky, their remains sprinkled over the city.

As the Fox rounded a bend, Brad was shocked to come face to face with Leena's huge zoid, slowly limping its way down the street. "Leena! You all right?" He could see how the right foreleg was chewed up, and the armour was rippled by damage.

"Yea, I'm okay, thanks to your lover." She called back, her face filled with exhaustion. "But watch out for the mini Cybrids. They'll try to climb up your zoids legs."

"What's next, the Death Stinger returns from the grave too?" Brad snarled in frustration. Leena was about to say something along the lines of not giving voice to bad idea, since they might come true, but she was interrupted by Pierce's scream. Both pilots and their zoids looked up. Pierces sliver zoid was clear to see, but it took a lightning flash to highlight Jamie's Raynos, as it began to plummet from the skies.

"No, not Jamie…" Leena's eyes were round in fear, and tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

Brad could only watch as the Raynos fell, his jaw clamped tight. Cursing in anger, he kicked the Fox back into high gear, planning to make every Cybrid pay for what they had done to that lad…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Pierce could only watch as Jamie's zoid fell, her jaw hanging open from her scream. It felt like her heart was falling with him, so much had the young man come to mean to her. She resisted the impulse to simply dive after him, to crash down with him so that they would be together again, in the next life. If there was one after death.

'_No! After all we've been through, it can't end like this!' _Pierce felt her tears fall from her chin, just like Jamie was falling. She recalled everything the two of them had done together, especially that kiss they had shared in Christian's mansion. At that point in time, Pierce had never felt more loved before in her life. Jamie was everything she wanted in a man, kind and gentle, but with a core of steel that kicked in when need. In the past it had only really showed when he had slipped into his 'Wild Eagle' alter ego, but over the last month the edges between the two personalities had blurred to the point that even she was sometimes unsure which one she was talking to.

She squeezed her eyes shut, not willing or able to watch his descent anymore. _'If only he could eject! I could have picked him up before the Cybrids got to him…' _Suddenly she recalled the time he had saved her life, when the Cybrids had attacked the Blitz Base. Back then her chute had failed after ejecting, and the Wild Eagle had performed a miraculous mid-air catch. Even watching replays of the manoeuvre blew her away…

With a sudden surge of will, she rolled the Storm Sworder over and dived after the Raynos. "Jamie, bale out!" She yelled into the comm system.

Jamie at first didn't answer. She was about to call again when he answered. "I can't Pierce. The ejection…"

"Bale out manually damn you!" Pierce screamed at him, pushing the Storm Sworder to full power. The silver zoid began to catch the smaller green Raynos.

"But, my chutes in tatters!" Jamie looked closely at his displays. "Pierce, what are you doing?" A note of worry crept into his voice.

"Jamie, I'll catch you, trust me. If you ever trust me for one moment of your life, trust me now…"

Jamie was startled to hear those words coming from her. Pierce had spoken softly, as if she had been whispering into his ear. He looked at the small photo of her he had stuck to his console just before the battle, at her smiling face framed by her brilliantly neon sea-green hair. His eye's unfocused for a second as he recalled the feelings that had coursed through him when they had at last kissed. It had been better than anything he had ever imagined it would be, her lips on his…

"Alright Pierce…" He said quietly, before grabbing the photo and ramming it into a pocket. Hitting the emergency override for the escape hatch, he pushed himself out of the stricken zoid. As the slipstream snapped his body back, he prayed that Pierce knew what she was doing…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Bit was beginning to feel the pressure. The Cybrids continued to advance, and now the Liger was taking heavy damage. He could see, in the brief moments of respite he had, that all along the wall tracer and laser beams were being traded back and forth between the zoids of the City Guard and the Cybrid horde. What the Cybrids lacked in general with power, they made up for in sheer amount. The plain was littered with the ruins of Cybrids, but the army seemed limitless.

Another ringing impact threw the Liger sideways, causing Bit to strike his head on the canopy. Over the ringing in his head, Bit heard the Ligers low growl of pain. Looking at the main display, he could see that the Liger was reaching the point of total collapse.

As blood trickled into the corner of his eye, Bit turned to look at what had hit him. A monstrous Diablo stomped forward while smoke trickled from one of the missile pods, the body tilting down to aim at him…

Suddenly something struck the Diablo, knocking it reeling. A second shot slammed into the Cybrids frontal armour, the shield having been stripped away by an earlier barrage from Jacobs Dibison. As another round struck the machine, Bit looked to his left.

Standing on the gateway was, what at first glance appeared to be Brads old Command Wolf returned from the grave. The dark blue wolf fired its long-range rifle again and again, while a gun on the back of its neck spat a line of tracer. Slowly Bit was able to make out other details that showed that this wasn't a ghost. The pivot caps and other segments of the underlying body were a silver colour, with a splash of gold on the teeth.

A comm window popped up, showing Derek's face. "Get inside Bit! I can't keep this one occupied for long!" His teeth were gritted as he continued to fire rounds into the machine that was reassessing threat indexes, and was already tilting its body upwards to target the new zoid.

"Not so fast buster…" Brads growl accompanied the banshee wail of his laser Vulcan cutting loose, the highly focused laser pulses slicing deep into the Cybrid. Their combined fire tore the machine apart, its AI struggling to retarget quickly enough.

As the Cybrid broke apart, Brad signalled Bit. "Get your ass inside Bit. I'll cover for you."

"How the hell did you get your zoid fixed so quickly?" Bit gasped as the Liger Zero slowly got to its feet.

"The organoids are healing every zoid that comes in. But you had better get there fast. They're getting tired…" Brads voice trailed off as ahead he watched as Pierce's Storm Sworder dived after Jamie. "What the hell is she doing?"

X-X-X-X-X-X

Pierce watched as Jamie jumped free of his Raynos. Biting her lip in worry, she flew right for him. It was going to be touch and go, particularly at this speed…

Jamie flailed about as he fell, the Raynos pulling ahead. As he looked over his shoulder, he saw the Storm Sworder diving right at him, as if to impale him on that sharp beak. Looking forward again, he watched as the ground came up rapidly…

Pierce slowly opened the zoids jaws, least she rip the lower jaw off. The whistle of wind around her rose rapidly in volume as the jaw hinged down, and the zoid began to buck under her fingers. The Storm Sworder was not keen on flying like this, head first towards the ground at an insane speed. "I know you're alive, so please understand. That man means more to me than anything. Help me…" Pierce whispered, not into the comm, but the zoid in general. The last couple of days had opened her eyes to the truth about zoids, the fact that they really were alive, not collections of metal parts…

The Storm Sworder continued to fight her for a second, but then it seemed to calm down, the controls responsive once more. Smiling with hope, Pierce eased the jaw open a little more, before reaching out for the manual seat lever. She knew the timing had to be perfect if this was going to work…

When it seemed that Jamie was about to be knocked right off the zoids forehead, she slammed the seat down, letting go of the controls as her seat dropped 'down' into the full fury of the slipstream. As her hair was whipped around her in frenzy, Pierce peered out to see Jamie just before her and closing. Reaching out with her free arm, she pulled him into her embrace. Yanking back on the lever, she held on tightly to him as the chair rose back into the cockpit.

Even as it rose, she reached up to trigger the zoids jaw, before scrabbling for the controls. As the seat snapped back into place, she pulled back with all her strength, letting go of Jamie to use both hands.

Every bolt, joint and panel shrieked in protest as the Storm Sworder began to pull up from its death dive. Jamie added his hands to hers, pulling back on the controls with her. Below them the Raynos continued to fall to its doom, plummeting down to crash amidst a group of Cybrids. One wing carved right through a Bulldog, so fast and hard did it hit, and the ensuring detonation of the zoid threw several Diablos off their feet.

Even with both of them working together, the ground was still coming up fast. Pierce had one last gamble to try, and in a flash she flicked a hand away from the controls to hit the takeoff booster. The ion booster built into the main engine that ran the length of the Storm Sworders body was meant to assist in takeoff, and was not only very powerful, but the thrust was angled to blast partially downwards too.

The sudden blast of power kicked them both in the backsides, but the nose of the zoid began to rise. With a jet of fire burning out of the rear of the zoid, the Storm Sworder levelled off below treetop level, the wake of their passing flattening several Cybrids they passed. The takeoff engine cut out, but it had done its job. Together they banked away from the battlefield, relief coursing through their veins.

Jamie slowly let go of the controls to gently stroke the back of her hands, before turning his head to look up at her. "Thank you. I though I was a goner…" Pierce was too full of emotion to speak, so she answered him the only way she could. Tipping her head down, she kissed him.

As they both drank of each other, Jamie slowly turned himself around, allowing him to bring a hand around the back of her head to pull her closer to him. She too brought a hand back to hug him tightly as the zoid flew higher and further away…

X-X-X-X-X-X

The gathered team members around the gate witnessed the destruction of the Raynos, and each of them felt something in their hearts die. They had been too far away to see Pierce's daring rescue, and in fact most of them had expected her to continue the dive, following Jamie into death.

"At least he took a few with him…" Cassandra commented dryly. Since she didn't know any of them, the pain she felt was only that of a lost comrade.

"He shouldn't have died at all!" Vega snarled, the Fury backing up his statement with a bellow of rage. Jamie had been a great friend, always courteous and quiet. Vega had gone to him for help when he couldn't go to Bit, and the two of them had more in common than their ages. The Fury used its rage to fuel another blast from the charged particle cannon, the beam burning right through a Diablo before a Bulldogs shields held it back. Jacob fired the last of his shells into the machine, and with the shields down his shells punched through and blasted the machine to scrap.

Steve, manning one of the Hover Cargos turrets, felt hollow. He had felt like this once before, when his wife had died. _'How am I going to tell Oscar?'_

Michael sheared off a Cybrids leg, before he noticed something. "Hey, where is she going?" He hailed the Storm Sworder that was leaving the battle. "Pierce, where the…" The sight in his comm window caused his words to falter, and he gaped in shock.

"What? What is it?" Brad asked, anger and concern in his voice.

Nicholas, sitting in the rear seat of the Raiders Blade Liger, grinned as he pulled up the comm message that Michael was seeing. Just before the battle, the two teams had synced their comm channels to allow him to advise them all. As such he had overheard the conversation between the two pilots, though he had been too busy to inform the others about them.

Michael tried to speak, but no words emerged from his mouth. _'How on Zi did she…?'_

At last Jamie and Pierce needed air, and they slowly parted. Looking up, Pierce saw both the stunned look of shock on Michaels face, and the wide grin on Nicholas's. With a sweet smile, she killed the visual link between the zoids.

"It's okay guys." She called on the team's frequency. "The Wild Eagle is safe." She looked down at Jamie with pure love in her eyes. His smile back was formed along the same lines as the Wild Eagles had been, but without a trace of the cocky attitude that he had possessed.

"What does that mean Pierce?" Stroller's eyes narrowed.

"It means he's right here with me."

Brads jaw fell down to his ankles at those words. "You… you rescued him from the Raynos?" He stammered, unable to believe it.

"She sure did." Jamie called out, his eyes never leaving Pierce's face.

At the sound of his voice, the Blitz felt reinvigorated. Steve loosed a cry of joy, while Vega grinned with relief.

As she flicked off the comm, Pierce loosened the seat restraints. "Jamie, as much as I wish we don't have too…"

"…We have to go back to the fight." He finished for her.

"Right." She replied as the last restraint was freed. "So we need to rearrange things here…"

Quickly Jamie turned so that he was facing the same way as she was again. As he fastened the last restraint into place, he lent back against her. "This is quite cosy…"

"Well I hope it's comfortable, because we're going in again." Pierce teased him as she threw the Storm Sworder around to return to the city. The brief respite had allowed both her and the zoid a chance to get their breaths back, and now both of them screamed in, their fire renewed…

X-X-X-X-X-X

As the City Guard was forced from the walls, the Cybrids seemed to become more reckless in their advance. They pushed forward harder than before, the barrels of their weapons so hot the rain evaporated before it struck.

The Death Saurer watched the cities defences crumble as his legions pushed onwards. **_'Foolish humans!" _**He bellowed to the dragon zoid that refused to stay still. **_"Did you really think that you could stop my army?"_**

"By killing Helios, yes." Christian's reply was filled with defiance. "Without their master, Cybrids are nothing more than spare parts!"

"**_Well, since I'm their master now, you have to face me instead!"_** The Death Saurer lashed out with his claws, but Mnementh flitted out of his grasp. **_"Hold still, so I can grind your wings into dust!"_**

…**_I don't think so, murderer!_** Mnementh's mental challenge blasted back, in time with a volley of missiles that slammed into the Saurers jaw.

Roaring with pain, the Death Saurer snapped his jaws out, hoping to catch the blue dragon between his teeth. Although the fusion with Cybrid technology had granted the Death Saurer incredible regeneration powers, the system was being overwhelmed by the continuous assault by these ancient zoids and their allies. The old human piloted HERC was partially troublesome, its electron flux weapons carving deep into the Death Saurers ankles.

The troublesome dragon dodged the massive jaws, while the panther zoid raced up the Saurers tail, its claws digging deep. The Liger style zoid continued to charge at him, each run tearing a deep furrow in his armour. While the Genosaurer type zoid - a type patterned off himself - struck him again and again with its charged particle cannon. A weapon that had been his!

Reaching out, he could feel the presence of every zoid, organoid and ancient zoidian. But glaring bright in the city, giving scour to the cities defenders, was Zoid Eve herself! He could feel her power, power that belonged to him!

Bellowing in fury, he unleashed a massive salvo of 'Death Rain' missiles from the launchers in his tail…

X-X-X-X-X-X

The return of the Storm Sworder to the battle made a marked effect in the skies. The Land Skimmers had forgotten about the aerial zoid, and were caught flat-footed. In her first pass, Pierce cut down at least a dozen of the machines. The AA fire culled at least the same again as the Cybrids adjusted to the new threat.

Pierces performance was the only bright spot in the picture however. All the zoid bays were filled to overflowing with damaged zoids, many of which had to be ferried to the bays via Gustav. The organoids that serviced each bay were growing weaker and weaker, the continuous work taking its toll. And more damaged zoids kept coming in as the Cybrids hammered them relentlessly.

It was only around the gateway where the assault was held back. Just. The Blitz and Raiders teams were fighting beyond themselves, taking a huge toll on the Cybrid force.

Under covering fire from the others, Vega crashed into a Cerberus, the Fury's charge bearing the dreaded war machine to the ground. The teams had quickly learned that the HERCs were highly vulnerable while toppled, and would struggle to right themselves. It was the best time to destroy them.

Bellowing with power, the Fury stamped down on the Cybrid, taking care to ensure that the ELF's were taken out first. The anger driven blows crumpled the heavy armour of the Cybrid, crushing the limbs and smashing weapons. Vega had to jink away before he could finish the machine though, as another Bulldog pushed forward. The Fury roared out of frustration. This was happening far too often now!

"Never mind Fury, that one's not going to bother us again." The Fury calmed somewhat at Vega's observation, while a barrage of fire sent waves of energy and colour rippling through the Bulldogs heavy shielding.

Inside Vega sighed. There were just too many of them. While the Fury was able to draw upon vast reserves of strength – a gift from the organoid Shadow – none of the other zoids had that ability, and all of them were reaching the limit of their endurance. Even the powerful Elephander was running low, standing there almost listless.

The Bulldogs shields collapsed, but it returned fire, the massive cannon over its hips belching forth another bolt of super-heated plasma. The shot smashed into Michaels Gordos, flowing over the shields. As the plasma began to dissipate, a line of small explosions raced along the zoids back, centred on each of the plates. The shield that had protected the Gordos from the start collapsed.

"Shit! My shield generators burned out!" Michael screeched, panic clear in his voice.

"Fall back Michael!" Derek ordered from within the spare Command Wolf. "There's not much more you can do out here!" As if to underline the seriousness of the situation, a hailstorm of cannon rounds chewed at the Gordos armour, the multiple strikes rattling the heavy zoid.

As Michael began to back up, a broadcast message went out from the central command centre. "Attention all Guard units! Fall back within the wall! We can't hold them any longer! Fall back!" All along the wall zoids began to step back and climb down the inside of the wall, a few getting struck by hostile fire as they did so. Derek watched in horror as a Rev Raptors head vanished after a Cybrid particle beam struck it. "Blitz Team, Raiders Team, get inside the walls! The gates will be closed in thirty seconds! Anyone left outside will be left outside!"

"You heard him, back inside!" Vega yelled, turning the Fury around to charge towards the gateway. Michael was the first through, while Stroller backed in while he continued to blaze away. As Jane powered her Zaber Fang through, she called back on a general frequency.

"What about Christian and his people?"

"They're fully engaged with the Death Saurer. That's their job. Ours is to hold on as long as possible."

As Vega turned to look across the plain, he saw that a Bulldog was racing forward, trying to get in before the gates were closed. The remaining team members all turned their guns on the machine, causing it to trip up and fall flat onto its belly, all four legs torn apart. Side and rear ramps fell open, and the swarm of micro Cybrids tore out, pelting hell for leather towards the gateway.

"Oh no you don't…" Vega growled. The tiny Cybrids were too small to be targeted effectively, and too numerous to be taken out with conventional weapons. Fortunately, the Fury carried an unconventional weapon, the charged particle cannon. Switching the system to fire a plasma stream to conserve power, Vega brought the weapon to bear. As the beam fired, he swept it across the entire Scarab force. Nothing but scorched earth was left in its wake.

"Nice work." Derek commented.

"Yea, but I don't think…"

Vega was cut off when hundreds of missiles detonated at once across the plain. Vega looked up to see a massive explosion above the Death Saurers tail, nowhere near any of the zoids attacking it. Vega was puzzled. How on Zi did such an action help the Death Saurer? Suddenly the eagle zoid changed course violently, and as Vega watched the Apocalypse HERC was knocked about. _'… It was hit by something…'_

Vega engaged the long distance optics, and what he saw chilled his blood. A hail of giant metal spears rained down on the team, the razor edges punching right through their armour. _'Death Rain missiles…'_

The zoids jinked and twisted, trying to evade the deadly spears, but there were just too many. They rained down thick and fast, pushing the ancient zoids to the limit of their skills. Mnementh was able to evade the raining spears, his boosters flaring with power as he jetted out from underneath the hail. Thunder, the huge triceratops zoid was too sluggish to evade the spears, but his armour was far too thick for them to penetrate.

But the others were not so fortunate. Vega watched in horror as he saw the eagle zoid crash down hard, several spears punched right through its wings. Shadow was hit in the leg, the spear punching right through to protrude from the inside. Zeke was struck mid back, pinning him down. The falling spears tripped up the graceful unicorn zoid, causing it to fall hard onto the ground, where another spear punched through the zoids silvery neck. The HERCs shield repelled the first few, but then one, then another broke through, the razor sharp tips punching deep within the armoured body. An internal detonation tore one of the side compartments apart as spears pinned the machine to the ground at an odd angle. And Panthro was knocked bodily from the Death Saurers back as a spear slammed into his hips.

Within seconds, the team of legendary zoids and pilots were crippled, leaving only two able to fight at full strength. Suddenly the Death Saurer swung about, the huge tail slamming into Thunder, sending the zoid flying into a nearby mountain slope. The impact was strong enough to crack the mountainside and start a landslide that proceeded to bury the zoid in hundreds of tons of rock.

Mnementh must have been shocked by the sudden nullification of his companions, since a swing from the Death Saurer slammed into him, sending the dragon zoid spinning through the air, crashing down in a thick forest close to where Thunder had been buried. As the Death Saurer began to advance on the city, Raven tried to fight back, firing his charged particle cannon at the monster. The Death Saurer reeled as the beam struck, but then kicked out, its massive foot catching Shadow under the jaw. The smaller zoid was thrown almost to the burning hulk of the Cybrid factory.

Vega, indeed everyone who witnessed the battle, was shocked and horrified at the result. Those zoids had been the best they had, every one of their pilots' heroes! And the Death Saurer had tossed them aside like toys.

As the monster advanced, Vega felt despair like he had never felt before. _'We're doomed. All hope is lost…'_

"Vega, get your ass inside!" Brad yelled. Glancing back, Vega saw that the gates were almost closed. He was the last one outside. He looked again towards the towering monster, its head almost brushing the thick cloud cover, lightning flashing around it.

"There's nothing you can do for them." Derek gently told him, suppressed emotion thick beneath his words. "Get inside!"

With a heavy heart, Vega stepped back as the huge doors closed. As the massive gates slammed shut, they sent a thunderous ringing tone throughout the passageway. To Vega, it was like the tone of the bell that sounded his death.


	56. Gift of a God

Chapter 56: Gift of a God

Christian shook his head to clear the ringing in his ears before looking about him to take stock. Mnementh lay on his back, leaving him hanging from his seat upside down. The strike from the Death Saurer had badly damaged the right wing, and several deep gashes ran down the dragons flank.

"Mnementh old buddy, talk to me. How bad is it?"

…**_It hurts… _**Christian sighed in sympathy. **_…But I can still fight!_**

Mnementh rolled onto his right side, before heaving himself up. His right wing trailed behind him as he staggered out of the woods, slipping through the trunks despite the darkness. When they reached the edge the pair of them gazed out across the plain, towards the city that was their home. Fires burned within the first tier, and the unmanned walls were taking a severe pounding. Fires dotted the plains, while the Cybrid factory continued to imitate a volcano. The Death Saurer's massive form blotted out the cities outline, filling the air around it with that blood hue.

With a roar of pain and horror, the Dragon zoid bounded forwards, before skidding to a stop besides Eros. As the huge head bent down to the fallen unicorn, Christian grew worried.

"Susan! You all right?"

Susan's face was the best thing he had seen that day. "We're both fine, for now. But we can't help unless we get rid of this bloody spear!"

Mnementh twisted his head, before latching his jaws around the spear. **_…I'm sorry, but this is going to hurt…_**

**#Do it…# **the smaller zoid told him. With a sudden jerking motion, Mnementh yanked the spear from the ground and out of Eros. She neighed in pain, as the saw-toothed edge of the spear was torn free. After a second though, Eros rolled and got herself back on her feet.

**#That bastard is going down for this!#**

**#Count me in!# **Shadows bellow turned both older zoids heads. Shadow limped towards them, the spear still impaled in his leg, while his chest was caved in from the Death Saurer's kick. Alongside him Zeke staggered, the left foreleg dragging.

**#We're not doing so good this time are we?# **Zeke commented, a note of pain in his roar.

…**_It has to be due to the fact that the Death Saurer has fused with the Cybrid computer core… _**Mnementh thought aloud. **_…That's not all. There is something, different about him. He is now part Cybrid…_**

**#Well whatever he is now, lets get him!# **Shadow turned to follow the Death Saurer, but he staggered.

…**_Sorry Shadow, but your in no condition to take him on again…_** A sudden crashing sound turned all their heads. The rockslide that had smothered Thunder was shaking. With a roar of rage, the buried zoid forced his way free, rocks sent flying by the force in his moves.

**#Oh man, he's pissed…# **Eros whined, taking a step back in fear as the heavyweight zoid stomped forward. His eyes glowed with pure anger.

…_**Thunder, you sure your up to this?**_

**#Ha! It'll take more than a mountain falling on my head to stop me!#** Thunder bellowed, before he broke into a run after the Death Saurer.

Christian sighed again as the massive zoid charged past. "Raven, can you fire on the Death Saurer from here?"

Ravens return grin was filled with malice. "Easily."

"Good. Then do so. Van, could you check on the others? Me and Susan need to ensure Carlos and Thunder don't get themselves killed…" Van nodded in understanding as he turned away to check the other zoids.

"Van, Christian, stop." Fiona's voice came across the comm system.

"What is it Fiona?" Van asked gently, worried about his wife.

"I need to go with Christian." She told him as she unbuckled herself from the Liger.

"You sure?"

"Yes. I don't know how I know but I do."

As Van brought the Ligers head low, he saw that Shadow was also stooped, the canopy raising. It was not much of a shock to see Resse slide out.

Both ancient Zoidians shivered as the rain fell about them both. The night had turned decidedly chilly, and they both hurried over to Mnementh as he lowered his head to them. Christian helped them up, and as they both settled into the second set of seats behind his shoulders, Mnementh stood up tall again. Already Raven was unleashing his charged particle cannon onto the Death Saurer, who reeled again as the beam slammed into his shoulders.

"Time to finish this…" Christian snarled as the dragon zoid broke into a run, since with a wing ruined he couldn't fly. Eros lopped along at his side, her silvery eyes narrowed.

Van watched them go. "Take care of her…" He whispered. Zeke echoed the sentiment, before they both turned and starting limping towards Panthro…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Bit raced across the hanger to enfold Leena into his arms. The two of them stood like that for a long moment, seeking and giving reassurance. Above them both their zoids slowly healed under the power of the organoids who fused with them, while the human techs worked like the clappers to reload the zoids weapons.

"When I heard you were coming in, I…" Leena managed to choke out.

"Hush, I'm fine…" Bit rubbed her shoulders to try and calm her.

Not that the situation was calm in the least. They had been pushed within the city, unable to remain either outside the gateway or on the walls; the attrition was just too much. A third of the City Guard zoids were out of action permanently. The Cybrids were pounding the walls, trying to break them down enough to get through. So far the old but thick walls held, but no one knew for how long.

Of more concern was the fact that the Death Saurer appeared to have defeated the ancient zoid team, and was heading for the city. Tall enough to look into the fourth tier, his charged particle cannon could wipe out half the city in one blast. There was almost nothing that could stop him now.

The only bright spark in the whole battle was Pierce's rescue of Jamie, and the way they were carving through the Cybrid Land-Skimmers. It was as if with them both in the same zoid, they could perform to a far greater level than they could separately. Dozens of craft were falling, either from the Storm Sworders blades, its lasers, or the cities own guns.

But there were still hundreds of them, and with the cities shield down, they were attacking the guns directly. For each Cybrid that was blown from the skies, another gun fell silent. Soon there would be no weapons left to fight back. The Rev Raptors fired up as well, but hitting those fast moving targets was hard.

Worse, the Cybrid ground legion was still strong. No one had attempted to get a count, but it was reckoned that only a few hundred had been destroyed so far. Against a force of ten thousand, what were five, six, seven hundred losses? The Bulldogs were firing their guns into the walls and gate at point blank range, while volleys of cluster missiles flew overhead to spread small explosive charges over the city. So far the solid stone buildings had mostly withstood the barrage, but things were getting out of hand.

Within the walls, the City Guard braced themselves again. It was expected that the gateway would be breached soon, and the Apocalypse pilots were waiting for them there. Infantry checked their weapons, each one not looking at the others.

No one expected to survive this…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Emperor Nicholas stood at the front of the lead Whale King's command centre, staring out ahead of him. Alongside and ranked behind his transport, the entire Guylos armed forces were arrayed. A dozen Whale Kings, each fully loaded with Iron Kongs and Red Horns. The Emperor had decided to leave behind the Molga and Rev Raptor units, since their lightweight guns would barely scratch the Cybrid force. He needed heavy hitters.

Ahead the coast of Europa came into view, the dusty plains spreading out to the horizon. _'Not long now…'_

"Sir! We have contacts approaching from port!"

The Imperial Air Force, consisting of ten squadrons, reformed their arrangement to create a screen between the Whale Kings and the incoming contacts.

"I need an ID on them now!" In response to the Emperors order, the ninth squadron's peeled off on an intercept course.

As they closed in on the contact, the squadron leader called out to his squadron. "Keep it loose people, and for Emperors sake don't fire unless fired upon!" The four Redlers increased their spacing from each other and the leaders Black Redler, all the pilots scanning the air ahead.

Emperor Nicholas stood there, gritting his teeth as he awaited a report. At last it came in.

"We have visual… They're Hammer Kaisers! It's the Republicans!" On a screen before him the image that the ninth squadron leader could see was brought up. Almost two-dozen Hammer Kaisers flanked by bomber unit equipped Pteras and a flight of Storm Sworders. All their flanks were emblazoned with the Republican emblem.

"Return to the fold." The Emperor commanded a slight smile on his lips. "Hail the lead transport."

Quickly the link was made, and the Emperor came face to face with an aging man dressed as a Republican General. "Emperor, this is a surprise. I am General Mitchell Herman."

"Pleasure to meet you General. You know what we're going up against?"

"Yes sir, I do. All too well." The General looked troubled. "My family has faced the Death Saurer before."

"When?"

"One hundred and fifty eight years ago. My great, great, great, great, grandfather, Rob Herman, the commander of the first Ultrasaurus."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Zoid Eve looked out over the battlefield, her heart heavy. _'So much death and destruction…_' She could see the fallen zoids, and knew instinctively which ones were beyond help. Over the years she had gained a sense of mankind, and every time one died she could feel it. Tears ran down her face as the waves of fear rose with the smoke from the city.

As she lifted her face to look further out, her eyes hardened. The Death Saurer looked up, and met her gaze. For a moment both great and powerful beings stared at each other.

…_**Give it up Eve! Your followers can't hope to survive. I know how this hurts you. Surrender yourself to me, and I can stop this…**_

…_**NEVER! I will never give myself to you! I won't let you destroy the world again!**_

…_**Eve, haven't you noticed? These humans are worse that the Zoidians! They war with each other all the time! Look into their souls. They have done things to themselves that we would…**_

…'**_That we would never do'? Look around you! What are you doing now? _**The Death Saurer was quiet for a second.

…_**Eve, had you just surrendered to me at the beginning, none of this would have happened! All these deaths are on your head…**_

…_**No, they are on yours. This ends now!**_

The Death Saurer was about to reply, but a blast of charged particles slammed into his shoulders. Raising her sight, Eve's heart leapt at the sight of Mnementh and his companions moving again. But then she gasped as she saw how badly they had been hurt. With his wing ruined, Mnementh had lost his main advantage over his foe. Thunder charged forth, fury radiating off him. Eros strode besides Mnementh, her head held high. The others were too badly hurt to continue, except Shadow, who continued to fire on the Death Saurer.

Snarling, the Death Saurer spun round to face them. **_…Say goodbye to your most precious ones… _**Air began to be sucked into the vent on his back, sparks of electricity crackling.

…**_NO! Mnementh, he's going to fire his main weapon!_**

Even as she screamed out, the Death Saurer fired. Thunder skidded to a stop, raising a shield while Raven redirected his particle stream to intercept the Death Saurers. Mnementh also fired back, his beam joining with the bright lance of light that shot forth from Eros's horn.

The huge blast of charged particles enveloped Thunder, before sweeping forth to smother Mnementh and Eros as they slid in behind him…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Leena and Bit were just stepping out of the hanger in their zoids when both the Liger and Iguanosaur looked up. "What is it Liger?" Bit asked.

Atop the gatehouse high above a single figure stood, surrounded by a nimbus of light. Anguish and terror poured off her in waves. Bit didn't know how he knew the figure was female, but then a name came to him.

"Zoid Eve…" He gasped as he realised what he was looking at was the zoidian equivalent of god!

The Iguanosaur spun round, priming the Hybrid Cannon before Leena realised what she was doing. Aiming upwards, she fired. Both pilots watched as the bright spear of light shot out… to slam right into the Death Saurers back-mounted particle intake vent. A great bellow of rage split the sky as the Death Saurers charged particle attack slacked off. He spun round to glare down at them both, his blood red eyes filled with hatred.

"Leena, I think you made him mad…"

"I didn't do anything! My zoid did it all!" Leena cried, unable to take her eyes off that terrifying visage. "Why'd you do it?"

**#To save Mnementh#**

The Death Saurer glared at them for a moment longer, before tilting its head down a little more. The guns built into his forehead fired, the massive beams smashing into the outer gateway. Rock was smashed into dust at the explosive power unleashed. The inner gates ran molten from the incredible heat that was produced, and rubble was blown hundreds of meters.

As the dust cleared, the waiting City Guard pilots could see the outer gate collapsing under the constant bombardment from the Cybrids…

X-X-X-X-X-X

To the Imperial pilot watching the whole battle from the sidelines, it was a terrifying experience. He'd seen the Death Saurer take down the zoids that engaged him and then turn his attention on the city. When they tried to re-engage, he had unleashed a massive charged particle beam on them. Nothing could have survived that!

When the single shot had hit him from behind, the roar of anger had shaken the very mountains. Now with the gate blown open, the Cybrids were almost ready to storm the city. He choked on the thought of all the people who were still in there being massacred.

The Redler however was staring at the sight where the Death Saurers beam had been aimed. **_…No, he couldn't have… he can't have killed them!_** There was only a blackened scar that ran across the plain. Shadow lay on his side; the last few seconds of the attack had brushed past him. Of the others…

Movement within that blackened mass caught the zoids eye. Slowly, the massive Thunder staggered forward a few paces, before thudding to the ground. Smoke rose from him as he laid there, the remains of his armour cooling. Vast amounts of his armour had gone, but the hyper-dense composite had saved his life.

Hope surged within the Redler as something else moved in the charred mass. **_…Yes! They survived…_** But the hope faded into horror as the picture became clear. Eros slowly pulled herself out from underneath Mnementh's body. He had interposed himself between her and the particle beam. Her once silvery hide was almost completely back, and both her tail and mane were gone. Her movements were weak, pain filled.

But the effects of the beam on Mnementh were the worse. The great zoids armour had been stripped away, leaving behind the zoid equivalent of a skeleton. His majestic wings were gone, only the main limb and the reinforcing spars remained. His entire body was black and part molten and he lay there as if already dead.

The Redlers heart broke at the sight of him, the legendary 'Blue Redler', lying dead and broken on the field of battle. **_…It can't end like this…_**

…**_It won't…_** The soft feminine voice filled the Redlers core with hope. There was only one being that sounded like that…

…_**Eve…**_

X-X-X-X-X-X

The Death Saurer prepared to destroy the last gate that blocked his legions, when he felt Eve's presence shift. He felt her bring her full powers to bear as she leapt high into the air. **_…Eve, what are you up too?_**

X-X-X-X-X-X

Naomi pulled back from the sniper controls, fatigue coursing through her veins. As she rubbed her eyes, she noticed a bright light above her. Looking up, her jaw dropped as she watched a shaft of light rocket up over the Death Saurer before seeming to twist and dive down to where the legendary zoids had been…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Christian sat there, every bone in his body aching. Despite the damage to Mnementh, the zoid had saved him. By keeping his head up, he had used his own jaw as an extra layer of armour for the cockpit. Christian, Fiona and Resse, despite getting rather warm and rattled around, were alive and well. But the same was not true of Mnementh. He could feel the state of his old friend, the nearness of death.

The sudden flash of light overhead caused them all to look up. When the shaft of blinding light slammed into Ranenth, all three found themselves surrounded by it. With a flash they were no longer in the zoids cockpit, but instead standing on a green hill, beneath a tree. A gentle wind ruffled their hair.

"I've been here before…" Fiona breathed. "When Zeke and I resurrected the Liger…"

"**_And now your power is needed again."_** All three of them turned to face the owner of the voice. Zoid Eve stood before them.

"**_Mnementh is the only zoid capable of taking him on. To do so, I have joined with him." _**Christian's jaw fell as he realised the implications.

"**_Fiona, Resse, your strength will be needed for this battle."_** As both women stepped forward, Eve reached out with her hands. Christian took a step forward too…

"**_No Christian, you must remain Mnementh's pilot." _**With another flash of light, Christian found himself back in the zoids cockpit. Looking over his shoulders, he saw both Fiona and Resse were wrapped in glowing cords that bound them to the seats. Their eyes were closed and their limbs slack.

Turning back to the controls, he gently gripped them. _'Mnementh, are you there?'_

…**_Yes… I am here… _**His replay was deeper, stronger…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Everyone in the city watched in awe as a shaft of light erupted into the air, drowning out the light from the fires and even the Death Saurers own aura. He looked on, fear coiling around his core.

Slowly the light faded, revealing Mnementh again. But instead of the blacken husk from before, now he stood whole again. His blue hide glowed with power, and every golden part burned with fire. Light streamed from every crack in his form, and his eyes burned with power.

…**_She went and did it… she fused with a zoid! _**The Death Saurer, or rather the being that had become the Death Saurer, knew what power such fusion could create. He had done it himself, when he had become what he was. And now she had done the same thing!

Mnementh roared, his voice shaking the heavens. Every limb tensed and his tail lashed about, while his eyes were fixed on the Death Saurer, narrowing.

…**_Let us end this… once and for all… _**Roaring again, Mnementh leapt at the Death Saurer…

* * *

**DR: **You just can't keep a good dragon down, can you? XD

**Shadow: **Nope. Now kick his butt!

**DR: **Oh we will. Next time, The Cybrids breach the gates...


	57. Hold the Line!

Chapter 57: Hold the Line!

Bit and Leena charged into the main square where the rest of the team waited. As the Liger slowed to a stop, Bit looked over all the other zoids. All of they were battered and scarred. Michaels Gordos was without its shield; the once golden back plates dark and charred. The Elephander stood wearily, the trunk lying on the ground. Both Blade Ligers were sprawled out, their armour blackened and buckled. Only the Fury stood tall and defiant, running on its huge reserves of endurance.

Bit felt just like the zoids did. He was weary to the bones, and every muscle ached. The high of the adrenaline rush had come and gone, leaving behind just pain and tiredness. He understood now the many advantages that the Cybrids had over him and everyone else. _'They don't need food, or sleep. They don't feel pain or fear. They can carry on fighting long after we have collapsed from sheer exhaustion…'_

"Heads up! The gate is going!" The yell cut across his thoughts. Looking up, he peered past the line of Apocalypse HERCs to see the massive gate fold in on itself. A Cerberus stomped forward out of the gloom, the blazing red eye gazing back with nothing but merciless hatred.

"All units, OPEN FIRE!" As one the City Guard opened up, their combined barrage tearing the Cerberus apart before it could do much more than fire a few laser blasts back at them. But behind the exploding machine the glow of hundreds of red eyes could be seen…

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Sir, we are approaching the mountain chain."

Emperor Nicholas acknowledged the report with a nod. Ahead he could see the line of mountains, their peaks dark against the night sky. The path carved through them was clearly seen: from behind the mountains and filtering down that path a red glow filled the air, the light of fires.

The Guylos Whale Kings began to reform into a line astern formation, the Republic Hammer Kaisers flanking them. Surrounding them all was the flyers of both sides, united for this one night against a common foe.

"Sir, we're picking up a set of contacts entering the… passage." The sensor operator called out, his voice catching for a moment on the last word. "Running the analysis now…"

Everyone on the bridge of the Whale King held their breaths, wondering. Were these contacts more Cybrids heading to the fighting?

"We have an ID… A ZBC Ultrasaurus and a number of support vehicles!" A great sigh of relief filled the air as everyone relaxed, for the moment. They only had to look at the red tinted sky to remember what they were going to face.

Emperor Nicholas looked down at the force that was moving forwards. The Ultrasaurus took the lead, its titanic form filling the carved passage. Behind it two Hover Cargos rumbled along, staying far enough back to avoid the massive zoids tail. Overhead a pair of Whale Kings and four Hammer Kaisers kept pace.

"Hail that Ultrasaurus." He commanded. Once the connection was made, he was not surprised to see the ZBC commissioner sitting in the command seat. "Commissioner, glad you could join us."

"And greetings to you too Emperor." The Commissioners face was grim however. "I see you brought everything you had."

"Well, all the heavy stuff. I'm surprised though that you've got only a few transports here."

The Commissioner shrugged. "These were all the teams close enough to assist. I've got a full load in here with me, but we don't have that much hardware." The Commissioner grinned wryly. "Don't worry; we've got fire support on the way. It should be in position shortly after dawn."

Nicholas frowned. _'He said "It" should be…'_ His eyes widened when the answer came to him. "The Judge Super Satellite!"

"Aye laddie, we've shifted its orbit to bring it right over the battlefield. We'll have to provide target plotting for it, but it should come as a shock for those bloody machines!"

As the link closed, the Emperor lifted his eyes again to look at the red sky above. The Ultrasaurus was making good time, despite its seemingly sluggish pace. Its massive legs moved slowly, but it took huge long strides, keeping the huge zoid ahead of all the other transports. _'I just hope that come dawn, we don't find that beautiful city drenched in blood…'_

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Come on, you've got to get out of there!"

"We need just a couple more minutes!"

"We don't have them!" Bit yelled as the Liger lurched to one side to evade a hail of tracer. The Cybrids had pushed forwards through the ruined gate, daring the defenders to take them all down. Soon they were walking over the wreckage of their own, but they continued to push forwards.

The Apocalypse's had extracted a heavy toll, but the Cybrids had pounded them continuously, not giving them a chance to recover. Other City Guard zoids had stepped forwards to help out, but the defenders were forced back.

Several carrier Bulldogs had charged forward. Unhampered by weapons systems, they had been able to work up to quite a speed. Their heavy armour and shielding had protected them from harm long enough for them to almost reach the defenders. As each one had crashed to the ground, the tiny Scarabs had poured out, before engaging the Apocalypse's directly. Dozens had swarmed each one, climbing up the legs to fire into the machines joints and vents.

Now only a handful of the old war machines were still active, the remainder burning in the square, some destroyed by Cybrid weapons fire, a couple brought down by the Scarabs. The battle had degenerated into bitter and deadly street fighting, where the defenders struggled to bring enough firepower to bear on a single target to ensure a kill. The Scarabs had switched to storming buildings, searching for the infantry that pestered their larger cousins. Despite the huge advantages the defenders had, the Cybrids had the numbers to simply overwhelm any defence, no matter how strong it was. Already almost half of the outer circle of the city had fallen.

Now the Blitz was covering the evacuation of one of the zoid bays in that area. Everyone had been ordered to fall back to the second level, where they could hopefully hold the Cybrids off a while longer. The Fort around which the path went was filling the air with tracer, swatting any Land Skimmer that tried to attack the zoids and people that fled up past it.

Naomi was also covering them. She had been spotted by a Land Skimmer and had only just got back in time. With the city breached and her sniping position busted, she had moved to the top of the first ramp up, which gave her a clear view down the main street leading to it.

The Liger jumped onto the back of a Diablo, bearing the machine to the hard ground. Once down, the Liger tore its back open with his claws, wrecking the internal systems. Bit could see the tide of Scarabs getting closer. "Listen, we are out of time! We can't hold them back any more!" He yelled to the techs in the bay as Leena blasted another Diablo to scrap metal.

Several seconds later, a trio of Gustavs rolled out. "That's it! We've got…"

Suddenly twin yellow lightning bolts shot out from a side street, to slam into the third Gustav. The discharges flayed the small zoid apart, and over the comm channel the screams of the people trapped inside resounded.

Bit shuddered at the sound. The Blitz had gained a healthy respect, and fear, of those weapons. The Fury had nearly been killed by an attack like that, and Stoller was out of the fight now due to one. A Cerberus had slipped up behind him while he had been dealing with another. Cassandra had cried out and had fired her lasers, but her aim had been off, and she had only clipped one of those weapons from the machine. The Elephanders rear had been torn apart, the zoid completely frozen. While the damage was not as bad as the Fury's had been, the Elephander was out of the fight for good. Stoller himself was knocked out by the discharge, and both of them were being taken up to the highest level.

As the Cerberus stepped out from the street, it began to turn its body towards the remaining two Gustavs, clearly intending to subject them to the same treatment.

"Oh no you don't…" Bit snarled as he fired his missiles. The mighty war machine was rocked by the detonations, before slowly turning about to face him. The central red eye gazed back, a bottomless pit of hatred.

Leon dived past the machine, his side blades active. The weakened shields failed and the Blade Liger went through, the Cerberus's right leg severed just below the knee. The machine toppled slowly, sending a hail of tracer upwards as it did so. "Thanks Leon." Bit called, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Just looking out for my little sisters' fiancée." Leon called back, causing a grin to form on Bit's tired lips.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Pierce blinked rapidly a few times, trying to drive the tiredness from her eyes. Even though they were now fighting over the city itself, allowing its guns to fire at them, the Land Skimmers were still numbered in the hundreds. The constant strain of fighting against such a number, while at the same time evading AA fire and the city itself was taking its toll on her. Jamie helped as much as he could, but most of the time he was reduced to being a passenger.

Worse, the Storm Sworder was on the verge of shutting down. The once silver skin was blacked by far too many near misses, and the zoids motions were more akin to a wounded bird than an aerial killer.

But looking down at the city itself, Pierce could feel her heart sink. There were fires burning uncontrolled throughout the lowest level, with the Cybrids forcing their way in, slowly but surely taking the city one street at a time. The defenders were reduced to a fraction of their initial numbers, the upper levels filling up with the wounded.

She could see the distinct forms of the rest of the Blitz Team, fighting right at the front line. She had seen the Elephander fall, and her heart had almost stopped at the thought of Stoller being killed. Word that he was okay had cheered her, but it was only a passing moment. The Raider team had suffered more, with only Anna's Blade Liger left to fight at the front. Michael had pulled back to the airfield, using his AA weapons to carve an empty space in the sky. Derek's Command Wolf was too thin skinned for the heavy close quarter fighting going on below, so he had pulled back to support Naomi, while Jane's Zaber Fang had been taken down by the Scarabs crawling all over her. While they had been chased off before they could kill either her or the zoid, both were out of action.

Cassandra's red Genosaurer was a maelstrom of destruction, the powerful zoid tearing into anything that came within reach. The Fury was even worse. The fires made him seem like a ghost, flitting from one fight to another, leaving smashed Cybrids in his wake.

But despite the fighting skills of the Blitz, they were being forced back, and there were still thousands of Cybrids left to engage…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Out on the plain, the Death Saurer and Mnementh continued their bitter titanic struggle. Filled with the power of Zoid Eve, Mnementh moved faster and struck harder than he had ever before. The lithe dragon evaded every attack the Death Saurer made, while his return attacks cut deep. Slowly, he was drawing the Death Saurer away from the city, his home. It pained both Mnementh and Christian to see their home in flames, but that anger was fuel for their determination to bring down the monster before.

The Death Saurer was still much stronger than Mnementh, and was vastly larger and heavier, but that was made up for by Mnementh aerial mobility. Overall the battle was at a stalemate, because while he inflicted damage to the monster, the Death Saurer had incredible regeneration powers. Mnementh simply could not do enough damage fast enough.

And time was not on his side. It was clear that the City Guard were losing ground to the overwhelming Cybrid horde, and once the Cybrid army turned on him, there would be too many guns for him to evade. Worse, the fusion with Zoid Eve was potent, but it was also harmful. Her sheer power was slowly burning him out. In an hour, maybe two, they would have to separate, or he would risk permanent damage. The two zoids circled each other, like gladiators from another time sizing each other up, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

**#Give it up Mnementh!#**The Death Saurer roared. **#You can't win this fight! Surrender Zoid Eve to me, and I will spare you!#**

…**_You want me to betray my own creator? I don't think so… _**Mnementh's claws lashed out, tearing deep slashes in the Death Saurers chest.

**#Why do you persist in working with these puny humans? What do you see in such a pathetic race?#**

…_**Mankind has a lot of untapped potential. They have performed deeds and created masterpieces that rival anything we have done! They seek understanding, and their imagination has no bounds. Given the right upbringing, they are possibly the best thing that has ever graced this planet!**_

**#NO!#** The death Saurer lunged forwards, his huge jaws snapping shut where Mnementh had been a second before. The smaller zoid had rocketed into the air, and now hovered overhead. **#The only thing that belongs on Zi is Zoids! And only the strongest survive! AND I'M THE STRONGEST OF ALL ZOIDS!# **His forehead lasers snapped off a barrage of shots that filled the air with heat and light. Mnementh danced out of the way, but deep in his core, the dragon zoid felt the pain of his systems slowly failing…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Leena sat back in her seat, her eyes fixed on the gate ahead of them. "Bit?" She asked tiredly.

"Hmmm?" His voice was filled with exhaustion, his eyes dull.

"How long do you think we've got?"

"Twenty minutes, maybe less…"

The last of the defenders had drawn up in a line behind the gate that allowed access to the second level. The Cybrids had pushed them up all three ramps, and had even managed to push their way onto the second level. But in a final gasp of defiance, the defending zoids had rallied around the returning Apocalypse HERCs, and had driven the Cybrids back enough that the gate could be closed. But the price was high. Only a few dozen zoids remained active, including Bit, Leena, Brad, Naomi, Leon, Vega, Derek and Cassandra. Scarabs had swarmed Anna's Blade Liger, and most of the Rev Raptors had proved to be too thin-skinned for the bitter close quarter fighting. It was reckoned that a third of the infantry were down.

Now the last defenders were preparing to hold the line as long as possible. With all the organoids exhausted, there was no way any zoid could get repaired now. In the front rank were the Blitz Team, Cassandra, and the three remaining Apocalypse HERCs. Behind them the remaining Dibisons and Gojulas stood, their guns angled to fire over those in front. Rev Raptors and Blade Ligers were on the ends, while infantry were digging in every building that had a view of the gate.

The gate itself was rattling in its hinges from the constant pounding it was taking. The Cybrids were unable to bring their heavy Bulldog units into play, so they were using a set of Cerberus's to batter the gate down. Firing at point blank range, the gate on their side was running molten from the laser hits and lightning discharges.

"I want you all to know, it was a privilege and an honour to fight besides you all." The commander of the Apocalypse unit called, his voice tired.

"Same here. At least when people tell our stories, they will remember that we stood our ground and did not flinch." The ranking Gojulas answered. The comm net was filled with other echoing the sentiment. Leena listened to the messages past back and forth for a few seconds, before she punched in a private call to Bit.

"Bit?"

"Yea Leena?"

"I wish we could have been married already. Then at least our graves would have shown that we were."

Bit nodded in sympathy. "I know. I'm sure that the others are thinking the same thing."

Leena nodded and was quiet for several minutes. "Bit?" She called again.

"Leena?" Bit looked at her questioningly.

She swallowed, the words she wanted to say sticking in her throat. "I wish we could have raised a family together…" Bit's eyes filled with sadness.

"So do I…"

The two of them looked into each other's eyes over the comm system for a long moment, loosing track of time itself. Neither took any notice that the gate was beginning to glow red from the constant pounding.

Naomi sighed as she set her sights on the gate. _'The first one of those bastards through is getting a bullet in the eye…'_ She slowly reached down to stroke her belly, and felt her unborn child within. _'I'm sorry, but it looks like we'll never see each other…'_

Leon fingered the small picture of Sarah he had taped to the inside of the Blade Ligers cockpit. He raised his eyes to look at the gate, where a tread of molten metal was beginning to run down the inside now.

In the skies above, Pierce plunged the Storm Sworder through a thicket of Land Skimmers, before rising up to evade hostile fire. As a trio of Cybrids fell, the dirty and battered Storm Sworder rose up. As they crested the mountain, a shaft of brilliant sunlight suddenly blinded both her and Jamie.

Brad looked out across the plains, towards were Mnementh continued to duel with the monstrous Death Saurer. He had never seen such a display before, and he knew deep in his heart that there was no future for any of them. He watched the rising sunlight slide down the far mountains…

Vega sat calmly, knowing he was going to die. But he would go with style, and defiant to the last.

**#We will go out together, you and I# **The Fury rumbled to him, a tinge of exhaustion in his voice. **#One last battle for glory#**

"Yes. We have earned a place in history." Vega left out the fact that there was not likely to be much history anymore, since the human race on Zi was doomed…

Derek looked at the pictures of his wife and children he carried with him all the time. Smiling sadly one last time, he slide them home back into his wallet before taking a firm grip on the old Command Wolfs controls. It had been his first zoid, purchased here, in this city. It was his place of birth, and his spiritual home. He was not going to let those bloody tin cans destroy it without a fight, and he could feel the same determination coming from the zoid.

Bit stared fondly at Leena, his heart slowly and sad. Despite the sweat, dirt, blood and tears that marred her face, he thought she was angelic. "Leena, I…"

Brads sudden cry of joy startled everyone. Bit's head snapped up to look at the Shadow Fox, perched on a rocky ledge just a little higher that the Liger. "Brad, what is it?" He called in worry. Had the ever cool, collected mercenary lost it?

Brad continued to laugh manically, too overjoyed to respond verbally. But he could point, and he did so, stabbing his finger across the plain. The Fox lifted its head and howled with hope.

Naomi frowned, but she looked across to where Brad had pointed. Her jaw fell as she saw what he had seen. "Everyone… look at the passage!" She cried out, relief and hope driving fear from her heart and causing tears to form in her eyes.

As one everyone looked, or swung their sensors around to get a view. The view was everything they could have wished for. The zoids all howled and roared, the pilots cheered, and the infantry began to jump for joy. For they had regained something that they had all thought was lost: hope.

Across the plain, striding out of the passage the Cybrids had carved through the mountains, the ZBC Ultrasaurus was bathed in the light of the new sun, the pale armour gleaming like a new born star. Flowing out on both sides came a stream of Whale Kings, Hammer Kaisers, and dozens of flying zoids.

The reinforcements from Guylos, the Republic and the ZBC had arrived.

* * *

**Bit: **Now that's an entrance!

**Leena: **Just like your first entrance to our team...

**Bit: **(grins) Yea love... (gathers Leena in a hug)

**DR: **(shakes head) Ah well, things are looking up! Next time, the reinforcements get their kicks in...


	58. The Turning of The Tide

**DR: **He he, things are looking up for the defenders now...

**Brad: **I'll say.

**DR: **And now we see the full power of the Judge Super Satellite unleashed. The Cybrids are about to learn the full power of orbital bombardment...

**O'Neill: **Cool!

* * *

Chapter 58: The Turning of The Tide

Emperor Nicholas gasped in horror at the sight laid out before him. The cities gates were nothing more than rubble, and the walls were crumbling and stained with black marks. Fires burned within, the smoke rising into the air. Surrounding the city was a cloud of black aircraft, swarming around the desultory AA fire that lanced up. A lone zoid weaved in amongst the mass, staying just ahead of them. Flashes of light could be seen on the first set of ramps leading into the city, and the plains outside were a ruined landscape. Craters pockmarked it, while fires burned. To the right of the Ultrasaurus a mountain of metal burned, while ahead a tide of Cybrids filed into the city. The Death Saurer was off to one side, fighting a titanic battle with that blue dragon zoid from before…

He looked across towards the Republican general. They both had transferred to the Ultrasaurus during the passage, the better to organise their combined battle plan. General Herman appeared to be as shocked as he was, his jaw hanging down and his eyes wide in fear.

"All right, men!" The Commissioner bellowed out across the command deck. "Let's show these tin cans what we're made of!" His roar snapped everyone out of their shock. Quickly the crew of the Ultrasaurus got to work.

"Pteras units, engage those hostiles attacking that ramp!" General Herman yelled into his comm system. "Take some of the pressure off those guys!" The wings of Pteras units roared forward, arming the heavy 30mm Vulcans slung under each wing.

"Barons, take the fight to those aerial units! Help out that last zoid!" The Storm Sworders went to full power and rocketed across the plains.

"Third and Fifth divisions, land within the city." The Emperor ordered. "Push them out of there!" The four Whale Kings loaded with Iron Kongs jetted away.

"Juggernaut Team, go with them. All Gojulas units deploy!" The Commissioners bellow added to the general dim that had erupted within the command centre.

"I want all Shield Ligers deployed in line abreast formation, one rank deep, just before the Ultrasaurus!"

"All Red Horns are to form up behind the Shield Ligers! Fire over them at the enemy!"

"Tell the Gojulas units to form up behind the Red Horns! We need to hit them with a massive barrage at once!" Outside, the Guylos and Republic transports began to unload their cargos of zoids, while Gojulas zoids thundered from within the ZBC hammer Kaisers and the Ultrasaurus itself. Quickly the zoids began to line up, just ahead of the Ultrasaurus.

"Hammer Kaisers, once you've dropped off the zoids flank the battle and get to the city! Those people are going to need medical help."

"All squadrons are to take out the hostile air force first, then engage ground targets."

"Gunnery control, fire at will, but keep the big guns for the Death Saurer."

"All Whale Kings are to engage the enemy once they have delivered their payload. Circle the Death Saurer, and pound it to scrap!"

Quickly the disciplined soldiers formed the required formation. The Republic Shield Ligers were up front, their shields deployed and fully charged. Behind them the Imperial Red Horns primed their weapons, while the towering Gojulas zoids of the ZBC ranked up behind them.

"Tell the Shield Ligers to stand closer together!" Herman yelled. "Their shields must be touching, if not overlapping!"

"Tell the other teams to engage the Cybrids how they see fit, but try not to get in our way."

"Sir! Sensors report a half dozen zoids on our left flank… and something else!"

"Let me see." The commissioner yelled, before one of the main monitors snapped up an image of the zoids. The Commissioners jaw dropped at the sight. "My god… what happened to them?"

Before them on the screen were the battered forms of Eros, Thunder, Zeke, Shadow, Panthro and Aries. The Apocalypse HERC was off to one side, still pinned to the ground by the 'Death Rain' spears. All the zoids showed extensive damage, some of it horrific.

"Sir, main guns are now in range of primary target, and the super satellite is in position."

"OPEN FIRE!"

X-X-X-X-X-X

In the city every pilot and trooper continued to cheer as the fresh zoids formed up, but they cheered even more loudly when the Ultrasaurus fired, the four massive main guns belching fire. The Death Saurer rocked as each heavy shot slammed into it, causing the titan to stagger. Lances of fire began to rain down on the masses of Cybrids that were swarming around the outside of the city as the Judge Super Satellite far above began to open up.

Bit grinned as hope flooded through him, but then he looked ahead, and he saw the light of a Cybrid sensor eye shining through a hole in the gate. "Look out! They're breaking through!" Even before he finished his warning, he had fired off a volley of mini-missiles into the breach, the swarm smashing into the Cybrids eye. As the whole gate collapsed, the defenders opened fire, smoke and tracer filling the air. Laser fire stabbed back, but the City Guard remained unflinching.

Leena began to fire wildly, her Vulcans sending an unyielding stream of fire into the Cybrids ranks, which were pushing forward despite the murderous punishment they were taking. Brad sawed his laser fire back and forth across the top of the ramp, cutting through the Scarabs like a scythe. Even Naomi added to the barrage, firing her secondary weapons as fast they could cycle. At this close range and with no clear view her sniper rifle was next to useless. As a Cerberus was ripped apart by her guns, Leena's face contorted into a feral grin. "Think you could just wipe us out huh? Well take THIS!"

Vega's face was twisted into a look of superiority as he unleashed his charged particle cannon. The beam burned right through a Diablo before slamming into the shields of a Cerberus. Cassandra fired her weapon too, adding her cannons destructive power to his. The Cerberus quickly folded in on itself as the beams carved it apart.

Despite the terrible losses they were taking, the Cybrids pushed forwards, their feet crushing the remains of their own as they stepped forward. The return fire was beginning to take its toll, as zoid after zoid sustained heavy damage. The Rev Raptor next to Derek was torn to shreds by a stream of cannon fire, while laser fire punched deep holes into the amour of other zoids.

Slowly, the defenders were forced backwards, each step taken reluctantly. Zoids were beginning to fall, and with the defenders forced into the streets, they were unable to fully concentrate their fire to cut down the oncoming Cybrids…

X-X-X-X-X-X

"So how are we going to do this?" Jameson asked his team leader as he set his custom Dibison into position.

"Well, I'd suggest we concentrate fire just before the… where the gate was." Michelle, the Burning Rain Team's strategist suggested as an answer, in that cool, confident tone that she always used.

"And why's that?"

"Simple. The bulk of the Cybrid force is in the city…"

"The bulk?" Jameson asked in shock as he looked at the huge mass standing outside the city. How many were there?

"Yes, at least six thousand units." Jameson felt his blood run cold at the figure, while gasps came across the team comm line. "If we can place an overwhelming barrage at that entrance, any that try to get in or out will only do so after taking severe damage."

"And there is no team that does that better than us!" Graham, the team's leader and owner yelled. "All right team, let rain fire on those monsters!"

As the team settled into bombardment positions, Jameson remembered something. "Wait. Don't these things have constant shielding? How can we hurt them with those shields?"

"Their shields can be battered down, just like armour. If we can hit them hard enough, then we can turn that region into a killing ground."

"Someone already has…" David commented, pointing towards the huge number of burning wrecks that surrounded the gateway.

"Less talking, more firing!"

As one, the Burning Rain opened fire. Given the flat plain, they had decided to leave their Hellcats behind and mobilise all their artillery zoids, including the old Gunbluster, which hadn't seen combat since the team had been in Class B. Almost thirteen years ago.

The ground trembled as the barrage began to fall around the gateway, the intensity so great that several Diablos caught while entering the city were cut apart before they knew what had happened. Considering the speed at which the Cybrids central processors worked, it was quick indeed. As the team unleashed another salvo, more laser fire from above lashed down amongst the Cybrids that were turning to engage them.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Pierce watched tiredly as the Land Skimmers settled in on her tail. She was exhausted after such a long battle; she didn't have the strength to attempt to evade. And neither did the Storm Sworder. A tail of black smoke followed her around now, and the zoids motions were less like a wounded bird, and more like a dead one. She looked down at the young man on her lap that meant so much to her. "I guess this is it."

Jamie slowly nodded. "I guess so. You do know that even if we do eject, they'll shoot us as we parachute down?" Pierce concurred. She doubted that the Cybrids would allow either her or Jamie to make it safely to the ground.

"So I guess this is the end." He said slowly, turning about on her lap again. "Just one last thing…"

"What?"

As an answer Jamie slipped a hand round the back of her head to pull her down closer to him. When their lips were inches apart he whispered, "I love you…"

"I love you too…" She replied as a smile formed on her lips, just before they met…

A sudden explosion behind him caused them both to jerk apart. Pierce frowned. "That wasn't a hit. Something behind us…" Jamie, looking backwards relative to the zoid, was the first to see, and his eyes widened.

"Look!" He cried, his finger pointing.

Pierce turned to look over her shoulder. Behind them a half dozen silver Storm Sworders were carving through the Land Skimmers like a hot knife through warm butter. Missiles streaked out to blast Cybrids from the sky, while laser bolts and blades sliced the machines apart. A group of Land Skimmers rose from the city, intent on helping out their comrades. But a flying wedge of Redlers, including some of the extremely rare Black Redlers, came snarling in, their guns tearing the lumbering craft apart.

"This is Baron One to unidentified Storm Sworder. Please respond." The voice that came over the comm was cool, confident, sounding a little like a female version of the Wild Eagle.

When Pierce acknowledged the call, an image came up from the other zoid. The female pilot sat at her controls wearing a finely tailored blue jumpsuit, with a flight helmet that covered her upper face and eyes, leaving her mouth and chin exposed. As she saw Pierce and Jamie together, Baron One smiled. "Having fun are we?"

Pierce snapped out of her shock. "Uh, not… um, thanks for the help…" She blushed bright red as her tongue became all tied up.

The other female pilot smiled warmly, her red lipstick shinning. "Well get on the ground. That zoid looks like it'll fall out of the air any second. And remember, you owe the Barons of the Air a round." And with that the woman signed off.

Pierce slowly piloted the Storm Sworder towards the top level, shock riding clear across her face. It was so clear and deep that Jamie got worried. "What's the matter Pierce?"

"The Barons of the Air… They're the Republic's elite Squadron! The best of the best! They only accept the top one percent of pilots to their flight school, and only those who come top of the class are allowed to join." She shook her head in awe.

Jamie too was stunned at the thought of such skilled pilots. "They have to be good…"

"Good? I once tried for a place there…"

"You're kidding!"

"No… I was accepted into the class, and I came out near the bottom! Seventh out of nine pilots!" Pierce looked once more at the Barons, as they tore the Cybrid aerial force to ribbons. The Imperial Redlers continued their flying wedge tactic, leaving crashing Cybrids in their wake.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The Death Saurer snarled at Mnementh as the Imperial Whale Kings began to head towards him. **#So, you are so weak now that you need help? You are pathetic Eve!#**

…_**You're the weak one here! One is always stronger when one stands with friends…**_

The Death Saurer reeled again as a second volley from the Ultrasaurus slammed into him. Deep in his core, the Death Saurer felt dread. Although it did not show on the surface, the constant battle was draining his systems. The constant demands on his self repair system was straining it to the limit.

**#Fine! Then Lets see how strong your friends are then!#** The Death Saurer spun round to face the distant Ultrasaurus. As he primed his charged particle weapon, he saw the line of zoids that marched before the titanic zoid. **_…What luck! I can wipe them all out in one shot!_**

Before he could fire though Mnementh landed on his back. Bringing his head down, the dragon zoid unleashed his fiery breath right into the intake vent for the Death Saurers particle weapon. The superheated flames poured into the delicate systems, melting through almost everything they touched.

The Death Saurer bellowed in pain as the fire burned deep into his body. He tried to reach round to remove the dragon, but Mnementh was out of reach. He tried to shake him off, but Mnementh's claws were dug in deep, and he continued to pour flames into the titan.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Leena snarled as she blasted a Diablo apart. "I don't get it. We're holding them off; we've got help coming… why don't they quit?"

"Because they still have overwhelming numbers Leena!" Brad cursed as he swept fire across the street to hold back the Scarabs. The defenders were being pushed back faster now, unable to hold the Cybrids back at all. It was really only the Blitz team that prevented the orderly retreat turning into desperate flight, a defiant rearguard action instead of a massacre.

Derek and Cassandra were still with them, along with the last Apocalypse, and about a dozen City Guard zoids. They were now at the central gateway that bisected the level. Once beyond that they could regroup and try to hold them back again…

Bit looked over the last few defenders. Leena stood centre, firing her Iguanosaur's hybrid cannon down the main street. The massive zoid was battered and damaged, armour peeled back and warped. The main guns were damaged by hostile fire, and with her lasers burned out from overuse, his fiancée was running out of options. Fiancée. Bit shook his head, still struggling to fully accept the concept.

Naomi's Snipe Master had been hit hard, and while she had not been disabled, Brad had told her to fall back to the upper level. She had agreed, since she had been worried about her child. The Shadow Fox was now coated in grey dust and soot, catching in every crank and mark of damage. The Liger was limping, and the Fury's head hung. Even the seemingly inexhaustible Fury was at limit of his endurance. Leon was heading up to the upper level, his Blade Liger missing a leg and him having a suspected dislocated shoulder. Cassandra's red Genosaurer was missing an arm, and the zoid itself stood as if it wanted nothing more than to just crash down face first into the roadway. Derek's Command Wolf was missing an ear, a near miss from a Bulldog.

A Cerberus appeared at the end of the street, its blood red eye blazing. Leena lined up her shot… and then failed to fire. "Shit! My zoids power cells are out!"

"None of us have the power to take that thing down before it gets in range to…" Vega tired voice trailed off. They all knew what he had been going to say.

"Well, he isn't getting by me! Everyone get through the gate!" Leena snarled her violet eyes livid.

"Leena, what are you up to?" Bit asked worriedly.

"If I hole up in the tunnel, they can't go around. They'll have to blast their way not just through the gate, but me too!"

"Leena! Don't…"

"Stand aside Blitz Team!" The voice was charged with adrenaline, and unknown. "COMING THROUGH!"

The Iguanosaur stepped aside, and a dark shape rushed past. The black Shield Liger roared right towards the Cerberus, leaping just before impact. The mighty machine was struck just on the eye, sending it toppling over onto its back. A pair of heavily customised Dibisons and a jet black Gojulas followed the Liger, before a stream of red Iron Kongs stomped out from the gateway, pushing forward in the wake of the black zoids charge. Two of the simian zoids paused to blast the downed Cerberus apart at point blank range, while another turned to the remaining defenders.

"We'll take it from here. You guys have done enough for one battle. I salute you all." The image of an Imperial Major popped up on screen, and he saluted to their image.

"Major Harding!" Cassandra cried relief at seeing an old friend here was clear in her voice.

"Hello Captain." The major smiled thinly. "I see I taught you well."

"That, and the teachings of my ancestor, is what has kept me alive tonight…"

"Well, stand down captain. That's an order. You're in no condition to fight anymore." As the Iron Kong turned away, Cassandra sagged in relief. She had not realised how tired she was until that moment. Now every bone in her body ached.

"So what do we do now?" Bit asked his tone puzzled.

"Like the major said, we stand down." Brad answered him, his voice tired. "We did our job, we held them back. It's the turn of the real military men to fight now…" The Shadow Fox slowly walked into the gateway, the thick tail almost brushing the ground. Slowly other City Guard zoids began to follow Brad, all the zoids movements tired and heavy footed. Cassandra and Derek moved out, leaving just the three Ultimate X zoids and the Apocalypse to stand at the entrance. Ahead of them they could see the Imperial forces engaging the Cybrids in close range fire fights and hand to hand. Or in this case fist to barrel. The first three black zoids tore about, busting up the Cybrids lines and diving between them, making them fire on each other, while the Gojulas fired volleys of shots into the rear ranks of the Cybrid horde.

"Go. Rest yourselves and your zoids." The Apocalypse pilot called them. "I'll stay and ensure that nothing gets past the Imperials."

**#He is right Leena#** The Iguanosaur gently roared her voice weak. **#We are all tired, exhausted. We can fight no more today…#**

**#But… there are still Cybrids to crush!# **The Fury bellowed, taking one step forwards.

**#Old friend, even you need rest#** The Liger roared. **#There is such a thing as pushing yourself too far…#**

Slowly the Fury turned back, before following the Liger through the gate.

* * *

**Irvine:** Hell of an entrance.

**DR: **You said it. Next time we have the final act, and the Death Saurer is going down...


	59. The Final Act

**DR:** Here we are, the climax to the battle. Big explosion ahead!

**Shadow: **(tips last of popcorn out of bucket into mouth) cool!

**Kinsey: **And this is just why I say...

**O'Neill: **Kinsey, shut up.

**Kinsey: **Colonel, with all due respect, you can not order a United States senator... (Mementh steps on Kinsey)

**DR: **Nice work M.

* * *

Chapter 59: The Final Act

Sarah moved about as fast as she could, her motions tired and filled with exhaustion. When the wounded had begun to stream up to the top level, she had offered to help the medical teams that treated them. Due to her lack of proper medical training, she had been assigned to assist with triage and the light cases. Now, almost six hours later, Sarah was practically dead on her feet. Her hair had lost all shine, and her clothing was stained with the blood of the wounded.

As she washed her hands again in medical alcohol, she looked about her, at the hundreds of wounded people. Most were simple cases of shrapnel injuries and blast damage, but slowly the influx of other types of injury was increasing. Ever since the Cybrids had penetrated the city, more and more of the infantry were coming up, with a range of injuries. Laser burns, bullet wounds, shrapnel… everything one could imagine.

And each was horrible in its own way. The bullet wounds tended to be both deep and numerous, while the shrapnel tore the victims apart. And the bleeding… Sarah didn't know how many had died because of blood loss. The laser burns, while lacking the blood loss, had another, more hideous side effect… the smell. It was one Sarah expected that she would never forget, no matter how much she would want to. It seemed to have gone up her nose and lodged itself right in her mind, never to shift.

The smell of burned human flesh.

Like everyone else she had been ecstatic at the arrival of the others from across Zi, but she could not help but worry about the rest of the team. What had happened to them? She had seen Stoller brought up, unconscious but otherwise fine. Naomi had come up too, battered and dazed. She had said that the others were okay, but Sarah couldn't stop thinking about Leon. In reflex she felt the ring he had given her, slipped into an inner pocket just before she had helped her first patient. Slowly she began to waver on her feet…

"Whoa, easy there…" One of the nurses took her shoulders as Sarah began to stagger. "You've been going all night. Why don't you take a break? We seem to have hit a lull…" Sarah allowed herself to be led over to the outer wall, and sat down on a convenient bench. "You rest here for a moment…" The nurse said gently as she stepped back, before dashing off to assist another wounded man.

Back at the wall, Sarah looked out with dull eyes, unfocused. Slowly she slipped the ring out and back onto her finger, not caring about the residue of blood that remained. She ached in every bone of her body, and her heart was gripped with fear for her beloved Leon…

Leon slowly moved amongst the wounded, searching for Sarah. Naomi had told him when he arrived at the top level that Sarah was helping with the wounded. So once his dislocated shoulder had been reset, he had gone looking for her, desperate to feel her next to him again. Pierce and Jamie had yet to appear, but her Storm Sworder was lying on its belly near to the main zoid hanger, the once silver skin almost black with burns and soot.

Sarah looked back at the wounded, her eyes filled with tears. She felt for all those who had suffered that night. How many families had lost a member in this battle? She looked out again at the thin line of zoids that stood before the tide of Cybrids that advanced towards them. How many children would never see their fathers? How many wives, daughters, fiancées…

Motion out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she turned her head to see Pierce and Jamie walk slowly over. Pierce's motions were of pure exhaustion, and she had to lean heavily on Jamie. The set look on his face told that he would support her in any way he could for as long as was required. "Pierce, you okay?" Sarah called; relieved to see the younger woman, but a note of concern filled her voice at Pierce's condition.

"I'm okay." Pierce replied as she sat down besides her. Jamie stood at her side, an arm round her shoulders. "You?"

Sarah nodded slowly, her eyes turning back outwards.

"Leon?"

"He hasn't come through yet, so…" At that moment a pair of arms encircled Sarah's waist gently.

"I'm all right, my love…" Leon's gentle voice, despite the pain and tiredness in his voice, drove away the fears that clouded her heart.

"Leon!" Sarah cried out in joy as she spun round to hug him back. The two of them clung tightly to each other, neither of them caring where they were, what was happening or anything other than that they were together again. She cried into his neck, her tears soaking into his collar. Tears fell down his cheeks too as he let his emotions out.

"I was so worried…"

"Hush… I'm here…"

That was how they were found by the rest of the team, who had worked their way back up the city to the upper level. Pierce leaning against Jamie, her eyes closed in shear exhaustion. Leon and Sarah were still holding each other, he slowly rocking her back and forth to comfort her.

It was only as Naomi sat down besides them that Leon and Sarah finally parted enough to look about them. With the exception of Stoller, the whole team was there, tired, battered, but alive. Off to one side Derek enfolded his family in a hug, tears streaming down all of their faces. Further off, Captain Cortez lent against her Genosaurer, her hair hanging about her head in sweaty clumps.

Bit turned his head to face Leena, his eyes searching her face.

"Leena… did you mean what you said before… about a family?"

Leena's hope filled violet eyes looked back at him. She tilted her head towards him as tears began to form in her eyes.

"Yes, I did…"

Bit slowly closed the distance between them for a kiss, but a sudden roar of pain, anger and fear split the air. As one every member of the team snapped their heads to look out onto the plain, to where the Death Saurer stood…

X-X-X-X-X-X

The Death Saurer staggered about, his body raked with pain. The Imperial Whale Kings were circling him now, unleashing a continuous barrage into him. The Ultrasaurus sent volley after volley of heavy shells crashing into his body, causing hideous damage. And Mnementh continued to crawl all over him, his claws digging deep into the larger zoid.

Despite the horrific pounding the Death Saurer was taking, he could still return. He knew that this body was not going to last much longer, but if he could get away, find a new subject…

Mnementh sensed the change in the Death Saurer as it stopped trying to dislodge him, before standing straighter, taller. **_…Christian! The Death Saurer is going to attempt to escape its body again!_**

"Oh no, he's not getting away this time!" Christian snarled as his eyes narrowed to slits. He quickly hit his comm system. "Ultrasaurus control! Target the Death Saurers chest! Hit it with everything you've got!"

The Commissioner quickly looked at the tactical display, before turning to his master gunner. "Do it!" He yelled.

Emperor Nicholas nodded. Outside the Cybrids had sent a legion towards them, over two thousand units. Their relentless advance was closing in on the thin line of zoids they had deployed, and he was getting reports from his units within the city that they could not hold on much longer…

The Ultrasaurus fired its main guns again. All four shells slammed into the Death Saurers chest, smashing apart the interlocking covers over the core. A gaping crater appeared in the metalwork, and the towering zoid staggered backwards. Before the Death Saurer could eject his core however, Mnementh stuck his head into that crater, jaws agape.

"Time to die, you son of a…!" Christian yelled as Mnementh unleashed his flame breath again.

The jet of superheated liquid flame roared forth, filling the region around the Death Saurers core in an instant. The monster bellowed in incredible agony as the white-hot flames began to melt away the cores outer layers. The scales that covered the core itself began to break apart under the intense heat, allowing liquid fire to get through. Mnementh poured all his energy into burning the heart out of the monster.

Suddenly a jet of flame burst out of the Death Saurers side, where one of the Ultrasaurus main guns had hit. The red glow around the monsters faded, the eyes growing dull…

X-X-X-X-X-X

Jameson cursed as he saw the Cybrids closing in. "Boss, we have to go!"

"No! We stay here as long as possible!"

Jameson's eyes widened in fear as the leading Cybrids began to fire their cannons. Tracer whined through the air as they locked in the position of the Burning Rain team. _'Those eyes…' _Jameson could see his death in those blood red eyes, which stared back with nothing but merciless hatred and evil…

Suddenly the Cybrids stopped firing. They even stopped moving, as if they were frozen on the spot. Jameson watched in bewilderment as the eyes began to flicker. "What the hell is going on with them?"

"Look, the Death Saurer!" Michelle called, her normally cool and collected voice filled with awe and wonder. For second Jameson didn't realise it was her, so startling a change had she undergone. He looked were she had instructed, and his jaw fell.

"What in the name…?"

X-X-X-X-X-X

On the far side of the plain, Raven stood besides Van, his arm in a crude sling. Behind them Shadow rested on Zeke, and all four of them watched the death of the Death Saurer.

"Die you bastard…" Raven muttered.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Flames were pouring out of the Death Saurers particle intake vent, the vent itself molten. The eyes were almost black, and the whole zoid stood still. Mnementh continued to pour fire into the beasts' heart, despite the pain that tore through his systems.

An internal explosion tore apart the side of the Death Saurers neck, sending armour fragments flying. More explosions followed, flames jetted out from every crack in the armour. The entire machine began to shake. Mnementh ceased his flame attack, pulling his head out of the monsters chest. An explosion blasted forth, and the dragon was barely able to duck in time. **_…Everyone get away! The Death Saurers about to blow!_**

The Imperial Whale Kings vectored away, their engines pushed to full power. Mnementh turned to follow them…

The series of explosions escalated, before the entire Death Saurer was enveloped in a single powerful detonation. As a sphere of destruction expanded, a dart of light shot forth from it, outpacing the wave of energy. The ball contracted into itself, before a massive shockwave blasted outwards. Chunks of the Death Saurers armour were thrown hundreds of meters, while the shockwave bowled over dozens of inert Cybrids. The explosion revealed the Death Saurer, standing as before, but turned to stone. For a handful of seconds it remained as such, and then cracks began to spread throughout it, linking up with each other. At first it seemed that the monster would continue to stand, then a claw fell away, breaking into hundreds of shards on impact. Fragments began to fall, and then, with the sound of a thousand cannons, the upper torso slowly fell off, falling head first towards the ground. Without the weight of the head and shoulders, the hips tipped backwards, the tail dragging the remainder over. As the massive upper torso hit the ground, it shattered into rubble, the head breaking away and rolling off to one side. The tail formed a line of broken rock, as it broke apart underneath the weight of the remaining body of the Death Saurer. The legs toppled, and dust rose as they too shattered apart.

Slowly the dust settled to reveal Mnementh, standing before a small mountain of dark red rock. All that remained of the Death Saurer. For several seconds he stood there, unmoving, before he threw his head back and roared, the sound splitting the air. Along with his roar of triumph, he broadcast a single thought to everyone in range.

…_**People of Zi, rejoice! The Death Saurer is at long last dead, and with him goes the entire Cybrid army!**_

The soldiers looked about them in amazement, staring at the Cybrids that simply stood there, unmoving. Their eyes had faded and died, and now they seemed nothing more than statues. Zoids roared and people cheered, splitting the air again as the realisation that they had won settled in.

Down on the plain Mnementh lowered his head to look again at the remains of the Death Saurer. Within his cockpit Christian slumped back, every bone was aching and his body feeling numb.

"We did it partner. We did it…"

"We all did it…" Fiona's weak voice came from over his shoulder.

Slowly the aura of light that surrounded Mnementh faded, until only he was left. A shaft of light leapt up from his shoulders, before arching down and forming a humanoid figure besides him. Zoid Eve stood there, her very pose one of great exhaustion.

"**_It is done Mnementh, my greatest and most loyal servant. Now, rest…" _**slowly the figure faded from view. Mnementh stood there, stock-still. Then his legs began to tremble, his wings, head and tail dropping. Cracks appeared along his hide, before the outer layers began to flake off like it was some form of paint finish. The metal revealed was charred and warped.

Then he dropped down, his jaw hitting the ground with a thud as he collapsed into the zoid version of unconsciousness. Within the cockpit both Fiona and Resse were already out, and Christian hung his head.

"Yes, we can rest now…" He whispered before his mind drifted off.

X-X-X-X-X-X

It was several hours later before everything had calmed down. When the Death Saurer had died, the entire Cybrid Legion had shut down along with him. The Land Skimmers had fallen from the sky, raining down on the city. The scores of wounded needed treatment, and the relief doctors worked furiously for many hours.

The Ultrasaurus took up position just in front of the ruined gates, looking out over the ruined plain. Once they had returned their zoids to the transports, The Republican and Imperial soldiers set to work assisting in fighting the fires and tending the wounded. Salvage Gustavs were dispatched to bring in every damaged zoid to the central bay on the top level.

The members of the City Guard, along with the Blitz Team, the Raiders, Captain Cortez, along with Christian and his team, had withstood the full fury of the Cybrid Legion's attack, and held them back long enough for the nations of the planet to come to their aid. Every one of them was crowned a hero.

But the cost was high. Mnementh was a pale, charred shadow of his former self, and the rest of his team were battered. Jamie's Raynos was almost completely destroyed when it struck the ground, and all the other Blitz Team zoids were badly mauled. Derek's Genosaurer was terribly damaged, and almost fifty zoids of the City Guard were fatally damaged. Of the twenty Apocalypses' that had fought, only one remained in working order. It was reckoned that only another four could be assembled from the wreckage of the others.

The city itself was a mess, the ground level in ruins and the gateway a pile of rubble. The upper levels had escaped the worst of the damage but there were still many buildings that had been hit. Only their solid construction had prevented total collapse. The streets were clogged with inactive and destroyed Cybrids, along with the remains of too many zoids.

The fertile plains were gone, vanished under a cratered moonscape. Whole farms had been destroyed and forests uprooted, the trees broken apart. Scattered about were the remains of hundreds of Cybrids, choking the streams and rivers.

The death toll had reached almost three hundred, including pilots, infantry and support crews. Two organoids had expired while healing damaged zoids, while over a dozen hanger personnel were dead. Councillor Traven was found dead in his home, a single gunshot wound to the head. Self inflicted. It was surmised that he had cowered in his home during the attack, and when the Cybrids began to break in, he had taken his own life. Considering the fury of the attack, and the ruthless nature of their foe, the casualties were considered light.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Leena slowly limped towards the Hover Cargo, Bit supporting her all the way. She had at first refused, but Bit had managed to convince her to have a doctor look at her old injuries. Despite the terrible pain in her leg, there was no lasting damage to the muscles. The cuts on her arm had opened up a bit, but given a few days without stress and they should close again.

As they slowly made their way, both of them looked over the battered remains of the Blitz Teams zoids. Dominating the group was the Iguanosaur, resting its bulk against the Hover Cargo itself. The Liger Zero lay next to it, his head resting across the larger zoids neck. The Fury was slumped down besides them both, his pose one of utter exhaustion. Pierce's Storm Sworder stood upright, but the wings were hanging down, the tips resting on the ground. Before its feet were the charred remains of Jamie's Raynos, the once streamlined flying zoid now a crumpled mess. Leon's Blade Liger lay off to one side, the severed leg next to it. The Shadow Fox and the Snipe Master were together, the raptor like zoids head resting besides the Foxes. The Elephander was slumped further off, the rear legs barely attached. All the zoids were battered and damaged, their armour charred and buckled. Laser fire had carved deep furrows while cannon fire had punched through, leaving trails of neat holes. Mud was caked across the legs and lower bodies of nearly all of them, and their once gleaming hides were now covered in soot and blast marks.

"So much pain…" Leena whimpered, clinging onto Bit a bit tighter. "So much loss…"

"Hush…" Bit gently squeezed her shoulders as he kissed her head tenderly. "We're still alive, and the zoids will recover…"

"Except the Raynos…"

Bit had no answer to that. Jamie had virtually fainted at the sight of what was left of his Raynos, his jaw hanging open. Since it had been brought up, he had barely done anything. Not even the attention of Pierce could snap him out of the state he had fallen into.

He had been almost as badly affected when the ancient team of zoids had re-entered the city. The people would have cheered their bravery, had they not been shocked and horrified at the cost.

Terry's Apocalypse HERC had walked in under its own power. Despite the gapping hole in the side, the venerable machine continued to work. Panthro, Zeke and Shadow had managed to enter the city unaided, but their motions were weak and pain filled. Aries had also limped in; the once graceful eagle zoids wing tips dragging along the ground.

Thunder had staggered forward, the change in his appearance frightening. The Death Saurer's charged particle cannon had stripped away vast amounts of his armour, and what was left was charred and warped. All his ranged weapons were gone, and his eye horns were reduced to half their length.

Eros had required a Gustav to bring her in. Her once silver hide was now blackened, and she lay there on the trailer as if dead.

But the worst shock of all was the state Mnementh had been in. His entire skin was black and warped, and every tiny movement caused flanks of his skin to fall away. His head tails had crumbled into dust, and bits of his wings were breaking off. Fiona, Resse and Christian had been recovered from within the massive zoids cockpit, all three unconscious. Van and Raven had fallen asleep at the sides of their wives.

Bit looked about the plateau, at the dozens of tents that contained the wounded, the slumped zoids dotted about. He drank in the pain that seemed to fill the air, but there was something else, something that was slowly growing.

Hope and joy.

Bit looked down at Leena again, his mouth twisted into a semblance of his trademark grin. "I'm sure everything will be alright. Trust me."

Leena looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears and hope. "You think so?"

"I know so."

* * *

**DR: **And that's it. the Death Saurer is gone. For good this time.

**Zeke: **Thank Eve.

**Shadow: **You said it.

**DR: **Now, I suggest everyone gets their best suit/dress out of those wardrobes, because next time... Da da dumdum, da da dadum.


	60. Till Death Do Us Apart

**DR: **Well, it's the moment you've all been waiting for. Hope you've got your best clothes on!

(Van walks in with suit and bow tie)

**Van:** How's this?

**Fiona: **(in long dress) Perfect

(O'Neill and Carter step through in full dress uniform)

**O'Neill: **We're ready. (fiddles with collar)

**DR: **Now, where is Zeke?

**Irvine: **Last I saw, he was messing around with polish and a long handled scrubber. (DR grabs shades)

**Van: **What are those for? (Zeke steps in, and everyone but DR is blinded by his highly polished finish)

**Everyone except DR: **Ahh!

**DR: **That.

* * *

Chapter 60: Till Death Do Us Apart

Several days later, Bit stood at the window fiddling with his bowtie. He just couldn't get the damn thing to sit right!

"Having trouble there, Bit?"

Bit turned to face Leon, who stood near the door to the room he had been given in the hotel. Like Bit, Leon was dressed out in a brand new tuxedo, immaculately dressed and turned out. The long tails hung down behind his knees, while just beneath the jacket Bit could see a red sash around his waist.

"Can't seem to get this bowtie to sit right." Bit complained his voice strained. Laughing, Leon stepped forwards.

"Here, let me…"

As Leon sorted out his tie, Bit thought back over the last few days. After a long sleep, everyone was feeling more human than before, and they were all stunned at the work already done to repair the damage caused by the siege. Most of the buildings hit were not as bad off as had been first thought; the solid reinforced stonewalls remaining standing in nearly all cases. The interiors were gutted by fire, but the wooden floors and internal walls could be replaced easily enough.

Repairs to the outer wall were progressing fast, and the gateway was cleared of rubble. Already plans were being drawn up to replace the destroyed gatehouse, and the underground factories were gearing up to produce new gates.

The crews from the ZBC, Republic and Empire had worked through the night on the damaged zoids, joined by the people who had been in shelters on the upper levels. Already people were going back to their normal lives, working around the damage.

Amazingly, most of the wounded would make a full recovery, despite the severity of some of their wounds. The powerful City Guard zoids were returned to their vaults, where they could sleep and recover. The Rev Raptors set to work with helping in the rebuilding.

The thousands of Cybrid units, and the wreckage of the destroyed ones, were piled up just outside the walls, forming a mountain of blue-grey metal. Slowly that mountain was reduced, as they were fed into a vast underground furnace. Each one was melted down and each element separated from the rest. Already a large number of ingots of various metals were racked up, awaiting a use. The amount of iron there would last for years.

Guysacks fitted with bulldozer blades ploughed over the plains, filling in craters and smoothing the fields again. Forester zoids were already hard at work replanting the ruined plantations, while a set of zoids were hard at work grading the passage carved through the mountain chain. An ironic twist was that the stony remains of the Death Saurer were being ground up to form the gravel used in creating the road itself. When completed, the road would link the plain with the outside world, and travellers would drive across the remains of the Death Saurer itself. The monsters head itself, still mostly intact, would however be put on display, as a reminder of the past. As a last note of humour, the passage was named the 'Helios passage'.

The mists that had isolated the region had thinned and retreated into the valleys between the remaining mountains, and the thick clouds that hung above the high peaks had all but dispersed. Now that the Death Sauer was gone, there was no need to hide anymore.

The Blitz and Raider teams were put up in the Grand Hotel, and the teams had accepted at the insistence of Christian himself. The main hanger bay tended to their zoids, and when Bit had visited them, he had been amazed at the progress made. Within a few days, nearly all the damage done to them had been repaired. Even Jamie's Raynos had not been left out, as Councillor Racknor himself fused with the ruined husk to resurrect the valiant zoid. It was his talent, bringing the dead back to life. He planed to do so for as many of the fallen zoids as he could.

The same could not be said for the dead pilots and crews though. Two days after the siege, a mass funeral was held. Slowly each fallen warrior was laid to rest in the great catacombs beneath the city as per their wishes. It was a sombre day for all, but the feeling was that those who had fallen had died in the name of freedom and life, and were honoured as heroes.

"There, that does it." Leon stepped back from Bit, looking him up and down. Just like him, Bit was dressed in a new suit, especially purchased for today. He had combed his hair out several times, to get it to lie flat rather than stick up like it usually did. He had only partly succeeded.

"I guess you'll do…" Leon teased. Bit grinned with him.

"Thanks. You looking pretty sharp yourself."

Together the two of them stepped out into the corridor where their rooms were located. There they met Brad, who like them both was dressed up smartly. Like Bit he had combed his hair back.

The three of them made their way to the lifts at the end of the corridor. Once inside Brad hit the button for the ground floor. As the lift descended, Bit looked across at the slightly taller man.

"Nervous?"

"Yea…" Leon nodded with Brad, confirming that he too felt the same way.

Once they reached the ground floor, Derek, who smiled warmly as the three Blitz Team pilots stepped forth, greeted them. He too was dressed in a smart tuxedo "Ready to take the plunge?"

"As ready as we will every be…"

X-X-X-X-X-X

Leena stood on the small stool; looking at her self in the triple mirrors that half surrounded her. She felt butterflies in her stomach as she followed the lines of the white dress, with its deep neckline and off the shoulder design. The long skirt almost covered her feet, and the tail of the dress rested on the floor. Her vibrant red hair had been washed and brushed out until it shone in the light, without single clump anywhere in that smooth flowing form. Leena had to admit she preferred it that way. Her magnetic head tails were a pale cream colour, embroidered with white ribbons. Her arms were encased in almost shear tight sleeves, ending just after her wrist.

As she stepped down from the stool, Leena flicked the veil down across her face. _'I can't believe that I'm actually doing this…'_

Off to one side Sarah twisted herself around to check that her dress fitted correctly, even though it had been tailored for her. Her dress had a simpler cut than Leena's, but it was the same colour, white. Her shimmering blue hair hanging down her back seemed almost alive with electricity, just like her heart was. She made sure the elbow length silk gloves were properly on…

Naomi gingerly stepped down from her stool, unable to stand there any longer. The weight of her and Brad's child grew each day. She slowly stroked her belly underneath the silk gown…

The door to the chamber opened, causing all three women to look up. Susan slowly stepped through, looking each one of them up and down in turn. A smile slowly lit up her face. Her shimmering deep reddish brown dress glowed in the sun, almost matching her soft hair.

"It's almost time. You all ready?"

Leena nodded, glad that the veil hid most of her anxiety. Sarah and Naomi both nodded slowly, before bringing theirs down to hide their faces.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Christian looked out across the plateau, taking the gathered crowds. He stood with his back to the central fountain, the towering statue of the colony ship that had brought him and humanity to Zi reaching for the heavens unmarked by battle. A raised platform had been assembled to allow all those gathered to see what was about to happen.

He looked to his left, where Bit, Brad and Leon stood, waiting. All three tried not to show it, but it was clear that they were all nervous as hell. Bit kept shifting his weight subtly, while Brad was struggling to keep his arms down. Leon was the calmest of them on the outside, but his eyes revealed his true state.

Stretched out before him were rows of seats, each one completely packed with people. The rows went all the way to the wall that edged this level. Leading from the ramp that came up from the fifth level was a red carpet that ended under his feet.

Behind the three waiting men in the front row were Jamie, Pierce and Vega. All three were impeccably turned out, Jamie sitting alongside Pierce, holding her hand. In the same row was Naomi's aging mother, her face filled with joy. Stoller's two brothers and his one-time understudy Sanders, who had returned from his team to be here, were also there. Oscar Hemeros and his sister, along with Bit's father filled out that row.

Behind them were the friends of the Blitz Team. The Raiders took up a lot of the space, but there was also Jack Cisco and the Tasker sisters, along with Dr Layon, all dressed for the occasion. At the very end Mary and Harry Champ sat. Harry had been released from the mental health hospital a week before, his madness having been cured. Getting his name on the list of invitations had been at first difficult, but in the end Leena had relented. Christian had had a word with him when he arrived, and Harry knew his place.

Behind them the rows were filled out with nearly every zoid team on the planet, stretching out across the plateau. Nearly every team the Blitz had fought was there to pay their respects.

On the other side of the aisle from the reduced Blitz sat Van, Fiona, Raven, Resse and Cassandra, along with Emperor Nicholas, his wife, the Helic President, General Herman and the Chairman of the ZBC. Samantha and Susan filled the last slots, while the City Council took up the next row.

After that the seats were filled with the populous of the city, along with the soldiers of the City Guard, the Helic forces, the Imperial Army, and the ZBC's own forces. They had all seen the valiant efforts the Blitz had done; the courage they had displayed and the will to not surrender. The entire team was hailed as those who had saved the city.

Outside the rows of seat the plateau was filled with zoids. The Blitz Teams own zoids were closest to the platform, with the exception of Mnementh. Fully recovered after a long bath in a zoid birthing pool, he sat back on his haunches just over Christians shoulder. The sun shinning down from a clear sky made his blue hide almost glow, with each golden point seeming afire.

Arrayed just beyond the Blitz Teams zoids were Zeke, Shadow, and the other Ancient zoids, all fully recovered from their near death experiences. The Iguanosaur sat opposite Mnementh, the Liger Zero standing at her shoulder. The Shadow Fox and the Snipe Master stood together, as did the now gleaming silver Storm Sworder and the resurrected Raynos. Councillor Racknor had brought the zoid back to life within a couple of days of fusing with it. The only changes were that the black sections beneath the two-toned green armour were now bronze coloured. The Councillor himself stood at the end of the row containing the Council.

Christian looked up, out across the plains. The last signs of the terrible battle were almost gone, and the rebuilding was well underway. But everything had been put on hold for today. And what a day it was! The sky was unmarked by any clouds, the sun strong and warming everyone. A gentle breeze barely ruffled the women's skirts, and the sounds of water and birds filled the air. It was if nature itself wanted this day to be one of the best ever.

Bit looked up at Christian, who stood resplendent in his old Earth Defence Uniform. The deep green, almost black suit somehow fitted both him and his zoid. It had leather cuffs, lapels and collar, with a broad panel that ran down his front. Gleaming gold buttons, embroidery and shoulder stars shone in the sunlight along with at least a dozen medals, and he now looked like the man he was: a leader of men, a great and noble warrior.

Christian reached up to his ear, and listened to his earpiece for a second. "Good." He half whispered. "Let us begin."

At once a deep, slow music began to be piped through the speaker stands stood about, filling the air with sound. Quickly people stood up, as Christian motioned the three waiting men to stand before him. As they spaced themselves out, they looked up the aisle towards the ramp.

Slowly, one after the other, Leena, Naomi and Sarah walked up, each on the arm of a man. Leena was first, her father by her side. Bit's breath left his body as he took in her appearance, the way the sunlight caused her hair to cast a red light on those around her, and turned her veil almost transparent. Hanging from her neck was the ancient stone necklace she had been given, the rich dark colour standing out from her pale skin and white dress.

Naomi was second, leaning heavily on her fathers arm. When she had at last talked to her parents about her condition, at first they had been a little annoyed about the fact that she was not married. They thought they had brought their child up better than that! But when she had told them about today, it had sent them both over the moons in joy. Now her father was at her side, determined to do his fatherly duty despite his advanced years.

Brad for his part was stunned at the way she moved, how her dress seemed to fall about her naturally. The last of his doubts and fears fell away as she slowly made her way towards him.

Sarah was last, with Stoller standing in for her parents who refused to have anything more to do with her. That hurt her badly, but the presence of many of her old friends from before the Backdraft helped ease the pain. Like Leena, her hair glowed blue in the light, and the thin material of her dress flowed around her like liquid. Leon had to fight to keep his jaw in place.

Slowly all three walked up to stand besides their men that waited for them at the end. As each one took the arm of their beloved, they mounted the steps up to Christian's level together, where everyone could see them. Steve, Stoller and Naomi's father stood to one side, their task done.

The music ceased, and for a moment everything was still. Then Christian began to speak.

"We are all gathered here today to witness the union of these men and women." Although he spoke softly, the small mike attached to his collar picked up his voice, and his words were broadcast via the speakers to everyone who was there. "Any person who can give a reason why any of these couples should not be wed, please speak now or forever hold your peace." Christian waited for several seconds, his eyes on Harry Champ. He was the most likely one to say something. But Harry remained silent. After a couple more seconds without a single voice, he turned to Bit.

"Bit Cloud, do you take this woman, Leena Toros, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, honour and protect, and will you forsake all others, for as long as you both shall live?"

Bit had to take a second to find his voice. "I do." Christian turned to Brad.

"Brad Hunter, do you take this woman, Naomi Fluegel, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, honour and protect, and will you forsake all others, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Brad's voice had a tremor beneath it.

"And do you, Leon Toros, do you take this woman, Sarah Obscura, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, honour and protect, and will you forsake all others, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Leon managed to keep his trepidation out his voice. Christian turned back to Leena.

"Leena Toros, do you take this man, Bit Cloud, to be your lawfully wedded husband? Will you care for him, honour him, stay with him during the best of times and the worst of times, forsaking all others, as long you both shall live?"

Leena had to swallow the lump that formed in her throat before she could speak. "Yes… I mean I do." Christian smiled warmly as he turned to Naomi.

"Naomi Fluegel, do you take this man, Brad Hunter, to be your lawfully wedded husband? Will you care for him, honour him, stay with him during the best of times and the worst of times, forsaking all others, as long you both shall live?"

"I do…" Naomi almost whispered, her words only just picked up by Christian's mike. He turned to face Sarah.

"And do you, Sarah Obscura, do you take this man, Leon Toros, to be your lawfully wedded husband? Will you care for him, honour him, stay with him during the best of times and the worst of times, forsaking all others, as long you both shall live?"

Sarah stood silent for second, terrified. Knowing that thousands of eyes were watching her right that second caused her to freeze up. Leon gave her hand a slight squeeze, and Christian nodded slightly, just enough that only the pair of them could see.

"I do." She at last managed to say. The relief in the air was almost palatable.

Christian smiled warmly as he began the last phase of the ceremony. "Then, as ranking officer and military governor of this city, it gives me great pleasure…" As he spoke, Bit, Leon and Brad brought the rings from out of their pockets and slid them back onto their new wives fingers. Naomi's new ring was bronze with a central ruby red gem, with smaller black gems bracketing it. On the inside Brad had had the runes that were carved into his pendent engraved into the ring.

"…To now declare you Mr and Mrs Cloud, Mr and Mrs Hunter, and Mr and Mrs Toros!" As the gathered crowds broke into applause, the newly wedded couple embraced and kissed for the first time as husbands and wives. The zoids of the Blitz team, along with Mnementh and his fellow ancient zoids, all lifted their heads and added their voices to the fanfare of organoid roars and human cheers and whistles that filled everyone's ears. Mnementh's bellow in fact drowned out almost everything else, including the other zoids.

The newly wedded couples though were deaf to the world about them; their only concern was the person in their arms. Tears of joy flowed down their cheeks, and many others were also wet in the eyes. Steve looked on at his children, overjoyed that they had found happiness. Naomi's parents were just as thrilled that their lovely daughter had finally settled down with someone. Vega could only smile with joy that his mother had at last found a man she could be happy with.

Van smiled as he leaned towards Raven. "Our legacy will go on."

"Of course." Raven smirked in reply.

* * *

**Fiona: **That was just...

**Carter: **Beautiful...

**Moonbay: **Ah...

**Resse: **Their so lucky...

**DR: **Well, I guess their happy... next (and final) chapter, we are at the after wedding party... Till then!


	61. Together, Now & Forever

**DR: **Well, this it people, the final chapter! All previous chapters have been sorted and updated, so you should have no problems re-reading it!

* * *

Chapter 61: Together, Now & Forever

The after wedding party continued on till late that night, the entire plateau turned into the largest ballroom ever. The zoids ringed the area, their croons filling the air. Tables loaded with food were scattered about, allowing everyone a chance to break away from the dancing to eat.

The main table was situated just before the fountain, and there sat the Blitz Team; the three newly wedded couples centre stage. Their close friends and relatives sat at the closest tables, easily within reach.

Bit and Leena were central, with Brad and Naomi on one side and Leon and Sarah the other. Before them was a towering wedding cake, made especially for this event. Every now and again fireworks would be set off, and gentle music was piped out of dozens of speakers. The gathered people were taking the opportunity to not only celebrate the marriages, but also the outcome of the siege where they had fought so hard.

As the evening progressed, Bit watched from his place at the riot of colours about him. Everyone had gone all out, and it showed. The women were dressed in a multitude of hues and styles, while the men could be arranged into two groups, those in expensive suits or dress uniforms. There were a few women in uniform too, but they were few and far between. Bit smirked as he watched a group of children run about the zoids belonging to the Blitz. The huge Iguanosaur was lying down, and seemed highly amused at the antics of the young humans that scampered all over it, even when they hung a banner from the ends of the Vulcans proclaiming 'Just married' in big, roughly written red letters.

"Well Bit, I never thought you had it in you." Bit turned to face the owner of the voice, Jack Cisco. Just behind him were the Tasker sisters, both in long dresses, congratulating Naomi. One blue, the other green, both cut the same way.

"Nice to see you too." Bit offered his hand, grinning away like an idiot. As Jake shook the offered hand, he looked across to Leena.

"How do you stand that?"

"By remembering what is underneath…" Leena purred, her arm sliding round Bit's.

Jack shook his head before turning back to Bit. "I don't know how you do it. First off you go and beat the unstoppable Berserker Fury, then you save millions of people by getting rid of that nuke, then you find and save this place!" His arms went wide as he gestured to the city around them. "How can one man be so lucky?"

Bit shrugged. "Don't ask me. I haven't a clue."

"Well, I won't keep you away from each other. I look forward to the day we meet again on the battlefield."

"Why don't you join us?" Bit asked a note of curiosity in his voice.

Jack smiled. "As much as I would like the pay, I can't leave the Lightning Team. After the Royal Cup, I changed my status from mercenary to full time member of the team."

"Really?" Leena's eyes widened at the news. "How come?"

Jake looked over his shoulder at the Tasker sisters before answering, a sly smirk on his face. "I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure that at least one of them has fallen for me. Maybe both."

"Whoa… I'd hate to be caught between them when they start fighting over you." Bit grinned. "You're in for a rough time."

"But it'll be exciting." Jack winked. "Enjoy yourself."

"Oh 'we' will." Leena told him as she leaned against Bit. Chuckling, Jack walked away, both Chris and Kelly following in his wake. Bit turned to give Leena a kiss, but he saw Harry approaching their table, clearly in trepidation.

"Leena, please don't do anything rash…" He whispered.

"Why?" she asked, before she turned her head to see Harry. Mary Champ was now just behind her younger brother, clearly keeping an eye on him. All cheer drained from Leena's face.

A hush seemed to fall across the table as Harry stepped up. Everyone there knew about the last time he had been this close to Leena and Bit, and it was clear on his face that he knew they knew. He was dressed smartly if sombrely, and his entire pose was of one who is struggling to remain upright.

"Bit, Leena…" His voice caught as he spoke her name. He swallowed before continuing. "…Congratulations. You two fit together. It's taken me this long to see that." Harry couldn't keep his head up, and his chin dropped down to his chest.

"I… wish to… apologise for my behaviour, back…" he paused, unwilling to even mention the events that had happened. "I was… not myself. In fact I've not been myself for a long time. My actions were however inexcusable. I can only beg your forgiveness." Behind him, Mary slowly nodded, pleased that he had gone through with what needed to be said.

Leena's face, which had hardened at the sight of him, slowly softened. "Harry," she began. "I'm not sure if I can every really forgive you. I understand however that you were not yourself, so in that regard your forgiven."

Harry looked up slowly at her, tears in his eyes. "Thank you." He half whispered, before he turned away and walked off. Mary stepped up in his place, holding a wrapped box.

"Thanks for that. He's recovering, but still has a way to go. Hearing that from you should help him." She sighed deeply, showing the exhaustion she felt from caring for her brother.

Leena smiled slightly. "I know what it's like to keep things bottled up. It's unhealthy in the extreme." She turned her eyes on Bit. "Luckily I've found my balancing point."

Mary smiled. "Lucky you." She gently placed the box she had been holding onto the table. "I hope that, someday, we can be friends."

"Maybe, someday. And thank you." Mary nodded before walking off in pursuit of her brother.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Slowly other gifts began to be offered to them all. Naomi receive a mobile of a number of flying zoids that could be hung from above a child's cradle, while Layon gave to Brad a set of blueprints for optional add-ons for the Shadow Fox, along with the zoids original blueprints. "They were in development when you stole the Fox." He told Brad without a trace of anger or resentment. Brad was quite pleased at the selection, since getting upgrades for such a unique zoids was a pain in the neck, as was getting it repaired after a battle. Sarah was gifted with a personal organiser that could be mounted on a person's forearm, while more mundane gifts slowly built up. Cups, cutlery and other knick-knacks slowly accumulated with the team. As the evening wore on, Van, Raven, Fiona and Resse walked over. Van had a flat package under one arm, while Raven carried a long wide tube.

"So, how does it feel to be considered heroes?" Van asked warmly.

"Not sure, to tell the truth." Bit answered, causing a round of laughter to echo around the table. Once he got himself under control, Van handed across the package he had been carrying.

"Here's something you might be interested in." Bit, filled with curiosity, peeled away the wrapping to reveal a framed picture. It showed Van and Fiona standing together on a hilltop, her hair billowing in the breeze. The bulk of a blue Blade Liger was behind them, but just to one side was a silvery white organoid, rather plain looking when compared to many of the others the Blitz had seen.

"Let me guess; that's Zeke." Leena asked, her eyes filled with mirth.

"Best buddy I even had." Van smiled.

Meanwhile Raven stood before Vega, sitting besides his mother. As he looked down at that younger version of himself, Raven smiled as warmly as he could.

"Vega, you are truly me reborn." He said, before handing over his package. "And it's long past time you received something from me."

"What is it?" Vega asked, baffled by the long tube.

"My first telescope." Raven told him. "I long since got a better, more permanent one fitted to my home, but this one still works like new."

Vega blushed as he slid the telescope out of the casing, running his thumb over the marking that Raven had added to the barrel. It was an exact copy of the marking on his cheek. "Thank you."

Christian, Susan and Sam waited until later before they came over. Sam held in her arms a large furry bundle, which as she stopped shifted, revealing two large blue eyes over a black nose and surmounted by a pair of rounded ears.

"Is that…?" Naomi asked, her jaw dropping.

"A Liger kitten? Sure is." Sam said as she gently stroked the huge kitten. "A new litter were born just a couple of days ago."

"Technically, Ligers are infertile, due to them being a cross breed." Christian put in as Sam handed the kitten to Naomi. "But when a team of geneticists tweaked their DNA to make them a bit more docile around the humans they consider family, they also fixed that." Naomi's eyes were round in delight as the kitten began to purr loudly as she tentatively stroked its tawny head. "Treat it right as it grows, and it will consider all of you, and any children you have, as family. She will protect your children like they were her own." Christian's voice was of one who spoke from experience.

Brad leaned a little closer to the Liger, whom promptly licked his face with her tongue before settling down on his lap, purring away happily. As the team gather round to fondle the newest addition to the team, Leon couldn't help but chuckle. "What's next? A Whale King? A statue of each of us?"

"Nope. Just an offer." Christian smiled another half smile as he held his hand out, in which were three sets of keys. "There's a half dozen cottages further up the mountain, all secluded from the rest of the city, and separated from each other. They each have their own little green section of the valley allowing complete privacy. Lots of soft plants, a warm stream fed by hot springs running past, quiet and peaceful. The perfect sort of place for a honeymoon, in my opinion…" All six of the newly weds smiled as they contended on to what Christian meant.

X-X-X-X-X-X

A few hours later the party was winding down. The now married couples had taken up Christian's offer, and were now up in their cottages. They had taken some clothing up with them, but Christian somehow suspected that they would not use much of those. The rest of the team, including the zoids, would be heading back home in the morning, taking with them most of the gifts from last night, including the Liger kitten. Pierce and Jamie had virtually taken over the care for the little thing, so much did they love the feel of that silky coat. When the honeymoons were over, Christian and Mnementh would fly them home themselves.

The ZBC, Empire and Republic troops and personal were heading to their homes, as were the other zoid teams. The citizens of the city were also making their way home, many walking slowly and barely in a straight line. It had been a night of full enjoyment. Christian himself sat back in his patio, looking up at the stars. Despite the several days of rest since the battle with the Death Saurer, he still felt an ache in his bones after the long day.

…**_We can rest now, for our task is done…_** Mnementh's mental voice was soft but clear, as the sleepy zoids head was resting next to him.

"That we can old friend, that we can…" Christian agreed, taking another drink from his mug. Stretched out, he listened to the sounds of his home as he wondered what would become of him and his close friends now that the Death Saurer was gone for good.

'_Will we linger on, till the end of time? Or will Eve pull the plug, and let us die of old age as we should have done long ago?'_ Christian had figured that Eve had somehow halted the aging process in their bodies. They were held at the age they had been at when she had gifted them with immortality. If she were to remove her touch, they would age again as they should of…

…**_I will not, my most loyal champion. There will always be other battles to fight…_** Christian brought his eye line down to watch as several threads of mist slipped between the trees to coalesce before him into Zoid Eve herself. **_"No, don't get up." _**She said gently when he started to move. **_"You have earned your rest. The Death Saurer is gone, but something or someone will eventually rise to take his place."_**

"I didn't know you were so pessimistic Eve!"

"**_It is, unfortunately, a fact of life…" _**Eve's voice trailed off, and she turned to stare up at the peak of a mountain. Mnementh growled, and Christian sat upright. "What is it? What's wrong?" Even he could tell that Eve was deeply worried by something. He followed her line of sight…

X-X-X-X-X-X

At the summit, a man stood, looking down onto the plains before the city. Slowly he shook his head in disgust. His silvery hair spoke of great age, while his white robes with their gold embroidery suggested an honest man, a peaceful one. But such concepts never applied to this one.

'_You promised so much, yet you never managed to deliver…' _He thought as his eyes settled on the last fragment of the Death Saurer, its great head, the jaws locked open in a roar of pain and fear. He had given the Death Saurer the power to take control of the world, but he had fumbled, and had been forced to lay low before trying again. But Eve had somehow anticipated the Death Saurers move, and had assembled a team of her greatest servants to fight him. Now, almost two thousand years later, the Death Saurer was finally destroyed.

And the Cybrids, they had failed too, barely reaching the heights that the Death Saurer had reached. Chased out of their home system, scattered to the stars in the hope that they may regain their strength and destroy humanity.

He raged internally as he considered the race of man. They were the most stubborn, irritant and chaotic race he had ever seen in his hundreds of thousands of years! Not even his best and most favoured servants had been able to completely defeat them, though they did control a vast swath of their galactic cluster. It was just the remnants of their set of human adversities that remained, but nothing they did was able to exterminate them. And their fixation on the one set had allowed others to slip through their mechanical fingers unnoticed.

He looked up and out, to where those remnants plodded on through the stars, searching for their long lost cousins. He knew that he could not interfere directly, but maybe he could use this world to deal with them once and for all. A Cybrid outpost was close to the route one of his favoured one's base ships would go. It wouldn't take much to get them to go a little closer…

Looking down, he saw Eve and her favoured two staring up at him. Grinning with pure evil, the one known as Count Iblis, the Prince of Darkness phased away, revealing his true midnight blue skinned, horned and pig-faced form as he did so…

The End…?

* * *

**DR: **Well, there you are. This story is now complete, but don't worry! The expanded and unified Blitz team's tales will continue in my sequel, 'Uncertain Future'. As an aside, I have written an epilogue for this story, set during that last little scene with Christian, but with the newly weds... (Evil grin) I think you can guess that I'm worried that such a piece would push the M/MA content rating boundary. Tell me if you wish for me to post it...

**Special Thanks to:**

-Legendary-Titan-, for acting as my beta-reader (as well as giving me a few ideas!)

And everyone else who reviewed this story as it grew. Your comments have spurred me on to keep at it, and have the drive to create a sequel for this tale. I hope you've all enjoyed reading this as much as I've had writing it!

**Credits (the source for some of the key original characters):**

**Emperor Nicholas of Guylos: **Prince/Emperor Rudolf

**Daniel Brown: **The one person in my sixth form years who I hated...

**Samanatha Masters: **Regina, from 'Dino Crisis'

**Susan Masters & Anna Calisto:** Two very nice young ladies from my Sixth Form years...

If your reading this (and recognise yourselves), then please consider the parts based on you as a form of flattery!

**Christian Masters: **Myself (grins)


	62. Author's Note

**DR: **Okay, I know I shouldn't really do this, but I just wanted to make sure that you all knew that this story is part one of a series. The Epilogue 'Nights of Passion' (rated M kids, you have been warned!) and the sequel 'Uncertain Future' are on this fine site. And now, part three 'Reuniting the Tribes' is being posted. To fully understand what has happened to the people on _Galactica_ you will need to read my 'Rebuilding Hope' storyin the 'Battlestar Galactica' subsection of this site.

**Zeke:**Also you adding this note bumps the story back to the top of the page dosen't it?

**DR: **Yeah, I suppose it does.

**Shadow: **So really all you wanted to do was get it back to the front page in order to attract more readers...

**DR: **Maybe... (grins) Anyway, here's a techy description of the Iguanosaur. I omitted the actual stats since they are already in the story:

"Created from the fusion of Leena Toros' damaged Gunsniper and her old damaged Dibison with the organoid Iycan, the Iguanosaur is one powerful zoid. Twice as long as the Gordos and standing a bare 3.6 meters lower than the Gojulas, the Iguanosaur is a massive zoid, capable of carrying some really, _really_ heavy firepower. Equipped with two AZ 60mm Hyper-Velocity Vulcans and four AZ 80mm Pulse Lasers, this zoid's standard armaments are the stuff of nightmares. Add to this the twin 420mm Shock Cannons and its 4 Quad Long Range Missile Pods and the Iguanosaur becomes a deadly force to be reckoned with. Not only that, but this massive zoid, a gentle giant at heart, also has a Grade 3 Hybrid laser/Particle Cannon. While not quite as powerful as a Charged Particle Gun, its strength is still immense, capable of blowing a hole straight through a Gojulas if the zoid itself is annoyed enough.

"But it is not only this zoids immense firepower that makes it remarkable. It has superb amour coverage, with heavy plating covering nearly its entire body. The armour itself is very thick, slightly more than the Elephanders.

"With its heavy weight and wide stance it is very hard to bowl this zoid over, but despite this and all the weaponry the Iguanosaur is very quick on its feet. While no Liger Zero, it is extremely nimble on its feet compared to other zoids of this size. It is also capable of a surprising turn of speed. It is an awe inspiring sight when it does this, since it rears up onto its hind legs and runs like a two legged zoid.

"All this power also comes in handy during a melee battle, an area that most fire support zoids do not excel at. With this much mass and strength even the simple hardened alloy feet are deadly weapons. Very few zoids are tough enough to withstand a kick from this beast, and if you should find yourself being jumped on…

"One thing to note that like most 'Ultimate X' zoids, the Iguanosaur also has provision for a conversion armour system built in. However due to the layout of the armour this CAS system is not as profound as the Liger Zeros or even the Fury's. Only the armour sections covering the hips, shoulders and back can be replaced. This does remove the bulk of the zoids armour and weapons, but allows for a number of potential systems to be installed. So far no conclusive conversion armours have been developed. Most pilots have found the basic armour to be quite enough!"

**DR: **And there you are. If you're a new reader and you've reached here, I hop you will click on my author link and continue to follow the Legacy I've created...


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